Leggett, Chris, and Le Queux, Stephane (2015) The partial incorporation of Singapore's foreign workers. In: Proceedings of the the 29th Annual Conference for the Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand. 35. pp. 1-7. From: AIRAANZ 2015: 29th Annual Conference for the Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand, 3-5 February 2015, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Abstract

The Singapore government regulates 'non-resident' workers through employment passes and repatriation in economic downturns. 'Non-residents' make up more than a third of Singapore's workforce. Until recently, Singapore’s 'non-resident' manual workers have been segregated from mainstream Singapore society, and largely ignored by Singapore's trade unions. However, in late 2012 a group of bus drivers recruited from China, organised an illegal strike, something unknown in Singapore since 1977. Their action exposed to criticism by Singaporeans of the government's reliance on foreign workers. After the strike and subsequent prosecutions and repatriations, some National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) affiliates began to recruit foreign workers into their memberships. This paper reviews the political and social construction of Singapore's workforce, the re-emergence of industrial conflict, and the responses of the Singapore authorities to it. It reflects on the prospects for labour market regulation of partially incorporating foreign workers into its industrial relations system.

Item ID:	37346
Item Type:	Conference Item (Research - E1)
Keywords:	Singapore, foreign workers, strike, labor market
Related URLs:	Organisation
Date Deposited:	27 Aug 2015 03:44
FoR Codes:	15 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 1503 Business and Management > 150306 Industrial Relations @ 100%
SEO Codes:	91 ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK > 9104 Management and Productivity > 910401 Industrial Relations @ 100%
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