Statute Details
- Title: Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order
- Full Title: N/A
- Act Code: TUA1940-OR1
- Type: sl
- Commencement Date: N/A
- Parts: N/A
- Key Sections: 1, 2
- Related Legislation: Trade Unions Act
What Is This Legislation About?
The Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order is a piece of subsidiary legislation enacted under the authority of the Trade Unions Act in Singapore. Its purpose is to regulate the membership of trade unions by employees of statutory boards in the country.
Statutory boards are public bodies established by the government to carry out specific functions and services. This Order places restrictions on the ability of statutory board employees to join trade unions, with the aim of maintaining harmonious labor relations and preventing potential conflicts of interest.
What Are the Key Provisions?
The key provisions of the Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order are as follows:
Section 1 - Citation
This section simply states that the legislation may be cited as the "Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order".
Section 2 - Workman employed by statutory board
This is the substantive provision of the Order. It states that no workman employed by any of the statutory boards listed in the Schedule shall be a member of, or shall be accepted as a member by, any trade union unless the membership of the trade union is confined exclusively to persons employed by that statutory board.
In other words, statutory board employees are prohibited from joining general trade unions that are open to workers from different employers. They can only join trade unions that are specific to their own statutory board employer.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order is a relatively short piece of legislation, consisting of only two sections. Section 1 provides the citation, while Section 2 contains the substantive restriction on trade union membership for statutory board employees.
The Schedule referenced in Section 2 lists the specific statutory boards to which the Order applies, but this Schedule is not included in the extract provided. Without access to the full text of the legislation, the exact list of covered statutory boards cannot be determined.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order applies to all workmen employed by the statutory boards specified in the Schedule. The term "workman" is not defined in the extract provided, but it likely refers to manual or blue-collar workers, as opposed to white-collar or managerial staff.
The Order does not apply to employees of private sector companies or government ministries and departments. Its scope is limited to the workers of statutory boards, which are a particular type of public body in Singapore.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
The Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order is an important piece of legislation that reflects the unique labor relations environment in Singapore's public sector. By restricting statutory board employees to joining trade unions specific to their employer, the government aims to maintain harmonious labor relations and prevent potential conflicts of interest.
This approach is based on the view that statutory boards, as public bodies carrying out important government functions, should not be subject to the same level of trade union activity as private sector employers. The restrictions are intended to ensure that labor disputes and negotiations do not disrupt the essential services provided by statutory boards.
From a practical perspective, the Order helps to prevent statutory board employees from aligning themselves with broader trade union movements that may have different priorities or agendas than the specific concerns of that particular public sector employer. It allows the government to maintain a degree of control and stability in labor relations within the statutory board system.
Failure to comply with the Order's restrictions on trade union membership could potentially result in disciplinary action or even dismissal for the affected statutory board employees. The Order is therefore an important tool for the government to manage labor relations in this part of the public sector.
Related Legislation
- Trade Unions Act (Chapter 333)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Trade Unions (Employees of Statutory Boards) Order for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.