Singapore

LABOUR RIGHTS INDEX 2022

Trade Union Indicator

The Labour Rights Index 2022 (LRI 2022) is a de-jure index covering 135 economies and structured around the working lifespan of a worker. In total, 46 questions or evaluation criteria are scored across 10 indicators. The overall score is calculated by taking the average of each indicator, with 100 being the highest possible score. The Index uses a rating system, ranging from “Total Lack of Decent Work” to “Decent Work”. The Labour Rights Index aims at an active contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, by providing necessary (complementary) insights into de jure provisions on issues covered in particular by SDG8 (Decent Jobs), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Strong Institutions). The Index is based on national labour legislation, applicable on 1 January 2022. The Index does not take into account COVID-19 related labour market measures in its scoring.

Singapore’s overall score is 46.5 out of 100. The overall score for Singapore is lower than the regional average observed across South East Asia (62.33). Within the South East Asia region, the highest score is observed for Viet Nam (75).

Singapore ratified Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining in 1965 but has not ratified Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise (1948).

Labour Rights Index 2022

46.5/100

LRI Country Score

25/100

Trade Union Indicator

22.18 %

Trade union density rate (%)

18.1 %

Collective bargaining coverage rate (%)

-

SDG indicator 8.8.2

2

ITUC Global Rights Index 2022 Ratings

Question

Answer

Score

Legal Basis

Violation

Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice?

No

0 §28(3) of the Trade Union Act 1940

Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions?

Yes

1 §18-26 of Industrial Relations Act 1960

No Violation Found

Does the law provide for the right to strike?

No

0 §27(1) of the Trade Union Act 1940; ITUC Global Rights Index 2022, Singapore Profile

A / C

Does the law prohibit employers from terminating employment contracts of striking workers?

No

0 §2-8 & 10 of Trade Disputes Act 1941

Textual sources

A : National Law

National Labour Legislation

B : CEACR

CEACR: ILO Committee of Experts on Application of Conventions and Recommendations (latest report)

C : ITUC

ITUC: ITUC Global Rights Index 2022

D : USDOS

USDOS: US Department of States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2021

LRI Country Score
The Labour Rights Index has 10 indicators and 46 sub-indicators. The LRI Country score averages 10 indicators and ranges between 0 and 100. The lowest and highest scorers are Nigeria (29/100) and Belgium/Greece (96/100). https://labourrightsindex.org/

Trade Union Indicator
The trade union indicator is composed of 4 sub-indicators. Scoring is done through the binary method (0 or 1). The score ranges between 0-100.

Trade union density rate (%)
The trade union density rate conveys the number of union members who are employees as a percentage of the total number of employees in the country. For updated statistics on trade union density, please check ILOSTAT.

Collective bargaining coverage rate (%)
The collective bargaining coverage rate conveys the number of employees whose pay and/or conditions of employment are determined by one or more collective agreement(s) as a percentage of the total number of employees in the country. For updated statistics on collective bargaining coverage, please check ILOSTAT.

SDG indicator 8.8.2
SDG indicator 8.8.2 measures national compliance with fundamental labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining or FACB). It ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being the best possible score (indicating higher levels of compliance with FACB rights) and 10 the worst (indicating lower levels of compliance with FACB rights). It is based on six ILO supervisory body textual sources and national legislation.
For an updated assessment on SDG indicator 8.8.2, please check ILOSTAT.

ITUC Global Rights Index 2022 Ratings
The ITUC Global Rights Index depicts the world’s worst countries for workers by rating 148 countries on a scale from 1 to 5+ on the degree of respect for workers’ rights. Violations are recorded each year from April to March. For a detailed description of ratings and methodology, please follow the link.

To find an ITUC affiliate in your country, please check the LINK:

Violations

National Labour Legislation

§28(3) of the Trade Union Act 1940

Membership of minors and Government employees
28.—(1) A person above the age of 16 years may be a member of a registered trade union, unless provision is made in the rules thereof to the contrary, and may, subject to the rules of the trade union and subsection (2), enjoy all the rights of a member and execute all instruments and give all acquittances necessary to be executed or given under the rules.
(2) A member of a registered trade union who is under the age of 21 years, but above the age of 18 years, shall not be a member of the executive or a trustee of the trade union unless he has obtained the written approval of the Minister therefor.
(3) No Government employee shall join or be a member of any trade union or shall be accepted as a member by any trade union.
(4) The President may, by notification in the Gazette, exempt from subsection (3) either wholly or subject to such conditions as are in such notification specified, any Government employees or any classes, categories or descriptions of Government employees.

Violations

No Violation

Violations

National Labour Legislation / ITUC Global Rights Index 2022

§27(1) of the Trade Union Act 1940

Strike or industrial action
27.—(1) A registered trade union shall not commence, promote, organise or finance any strike or any form of industrial action affecting the whole or any section of its members without obtaining the consent, by secret ballot, of the majority of the members so affected.

ITUC Global Rights Index 2022, Singapore Profile

To call a strike, 50% plus one of all the trade union’s members must vote in favour.

Violations

National Labour Legislation

§5 of Trade Disputes Act 1941

Penalties in relation to illegal industrial action and lockout
5.—(1) Any person who commences, continues or otherwise acts in furtherance of an illegal industrial action shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.