Industrial Relations Legislation and Its Practical Applications

• Understand the Industrial Relations legislation, namely the Industrial Relations Act, Trade Disputes Act, Trade Unions Act, Criminal Law Temporary Provisions.
• Understand how trade union seeks trade union recognition.
• Know the rights of trade unions in companies trade union recognition.
• Know the types of Unions and the differentiation between ordinary members and general branch membership.
• Know the role of the three actors in industrial relations, namely MOM, NTUC and SNEF.
• Understand the influence, concern and impact of trade unions on business and human resource management practices of companies.
• Know what is management’s prerogative and negotiable issues between management and trade union.
• Understand the role and due process of collective bargaining in the Singapore industrial relations system.
• Drafting win-win collective agreements between management and trade union.

A competent HR practitioner must have the knowledge and skills in the following:

1. Overview and perspective of the Industrial Relations system in Singapore.

• Difference btw employee relations and industrial relations
• Labour relations framework and its policies.
• Role and function of government.
• The tripartite partners, namely the Ministry of Manpower, National Trade Union Congress and Singapore National Employer Federation.
• Role of Labour Court and Singapore Arbitration Court.

2. Industrial Relations legislations in Singapore.

• Main legislation such as Industrial Relations Act, Trade Unions Act, Trade Disputes Act and Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act.
• The system of conciliation services with the Ministry of Manpower.
• The system of voluntary and compulsory arbitration at the Industrial Arbitration Court, i.e. ex-parte application, joint application, direction by the Minister and proclamation by the President.

3. Formation of a Trade Union

• Background and development of trade union.
• Objectives and types of trade unions.
• Constitution of a trade union and its application to executive unions and rank and file unions.
• Registrar of Trade Unions.

4. Trade Union Recognition

• Procedures for trade union recognition.
• Voluntary recognition versus secret ballot.
• Procedures for conducting the secret ballot.
• Role of Ministry of Manpower.
• Limited representation.
• Differentiation between ordinary members and general branch members.

5. Trade Disputes

• Grievance procedures, as outlined in CA.
• Conciliation services provided by Ministry of Manpower.
• Tripartite dispute resolution.
• Adjudication by the Singapore Arbitration Court.

6. Industrial Relations Action

• Definition of industrial action.
• Types or forms of industrial action.
• Prohibition of industrial action.
• Tort action

7. Collective Bargaining

• Management’s prerogative versus negotiable issues under Industrial Relations Act.
• The purpose of the memorandum of understanding.
• Annual increment and variable bonuses.
• Refusal to collective bargain by the employer for lack of majority union members.

8. Collective Agreement (CA)**                     

• The contents and the bearing or interpretation of clauses in the CA.
• The scope of representation of employees in CA.
• Are terms and conditions applicable to union members or non-union members?
• Tripartite guidelines and its application to CA.
• Process of certification by the Industrial Arbitration Court.
• Duration of CA, retrospection or backdating, continuity upon expiry of CA.
• Merger and acquisition, transfer or sale of shares, and whether CA continues with the successors.

Lecture and case study.

Human Resource Practitioners, Industrial Relations Practitioners, Lawyers, In-House Legal Counsels, Line Managers/Executives and any other persons interested in grasping a good understanding of the Employment Act.

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