Over 80 companies with close to 400 vacancies step forward: Ng Chee Meng

Over 80 companies with close to 400 vacancies step forward: Ng Chee Meng

More than 80 companies have expressed interest in hiring migrant workers affected by an alleged abandonment case involving several engineering firms. Job placements for the workers, mostly from India and Bangladesh, are scheduled to begin next week, according to NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng.

The crisis emerged after more than 100 workers from KPA Engineering and SK Industries approached the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Services Centre in Bendemeer Road on June 22 to report they had not been paid for months. By the following day, the number of affected workers had risen to over 400. Many reported not being paid for three to four months, while some claims ranged between one and four months of wages.

The firms involved — KPA Engineering, SK Industries, and VVR Plant Engineering — all share a common director. Ramu Palani Velu, an Indian national and Singapore permanent resident, is also listed as a director for five other companies. He is currently uncontactable and believed to have left Singapore.

To stabilize the situation, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) are supporting 407 workers. These individuals will be relocated to a single lodging facility by this weekend to better coordinate support. Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash stated that workers will eventually be moved to MOM's onboarding centre in Sengkang once their stay at Tuas View Dormitory ends.

Immediate financial relief has been provided to help workers meet daily expenses and top up mobile phone credits to contact their families. Each worker who is an MWC member or registers as one will receive S$100 in cash and S$100 in FairPrice vouchers. Ng Chee Meng noted that while the labour movement has already identified 150 construction job vacancies from around 40 employers, the total interest has grown to over 80 firms offering close to 400 vacancies.

The Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), a joint effort by the Ministry of Manpower, NTUC, and the Singapore National Employers Federation, has been present at Tuas View Dormitory to assist workers in filing salary claims directly. MOM will also issue special passes in the interim, allowing the workers to remain in Singapore legally while they seek new employment.

"We will make sure no one is left behind in this process."

Ng Chee Meng, NTUC Secretary-General, via The Straits Times

Minister of State Dinesh Vasu Dash said the ministry takes a very serious view of employers who place workers in such situations and confirmed that the companies involved will be investigated. He described some of the workers' stories as heart-wrenching, noting that many have debts to clear and children who need money for school.

Public records suggest KPA Engineering, which specializes in air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems, showed signs of financial distress as early as 2023, including outstanding debts to DBS Bank. Other reports indicate that external caterers at the workers' dormitory had also stopped providing food because they had not received payment.

The High Commission of India has stated it is in touch with the affected workers, NTUC, and MOM. The Bangladesh High Commission has also been contacted regarding the situation.

Civil society groups have used the case to highlight systemic gaps. Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) noted that migrant workers often delay reporting unpaid wages due to high recruitment debts, which can reach S$20,000, and a fear of repatriation. HOME is advocating for a statutory wage protection fund or mandatory insurance to ensure workers are paid when an employer becomes insolvent.