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Trade Unions (Amendment) Ordinance Bill

Bill No. 19/1963

Read the first time on 18th December 1963.

An Ordinance to amend the Trade Unions Ordinance (Chapter 154 of the Revised Edition).

Be it enacted by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore, as follows: —

Short title and commencement

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Trade Unions (Amendment) Ordinance, 1963, and shall be deemed to have come into operation on the 11th day of December, 1963.

New Section 15A

2. The Trade Unions Ordinance (hereinafter in this Ordinance referred to as the “principal Ordinance”) is hereby amended by inserting immediately after section 15 thereof, the following new section:—

“Power to freeze back account

15A.—(1) Where a notice has been given by the Registrar to a trade union under the provisions of subsection (2) of section 15 of this Ordinance, the Minister may, where he is satisfied that is likely that the funds of the union may be misused, by order direct any bank of Singapore not to pay any money out of nor to pay cheques drawn on the account of such union for a specified period not exceeding three months.

(2) Any officer of the bank who complies with an order of the Minister under subsection (1) of this section shall be relieved of any liability to any other person in respect of the payment prohibited by such order.

(3) The manager of any bank which fails to comply with an order of the Minister under subsection (1) of the section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding three thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”.

Amendment of section 18

3. Section 18 of the principal Ordinance is hereby amended by deleting the words “and its funds shall be disposed of in accordance with the rules of the union” appearing in paragraph (c) thereof.

New sections 18A and 18B

4. The principal Ordinance is hereby amended by amended by inserting immediately after section 18 thereof, the following new sections:—

“Consequences upon dissolution of a trade union

18A. Upon the dissolution of a trade union under the provisions of section 18 of this Ordinance —

(a)

the property of the trade union shall forthwith vest in the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy; and

(b)

the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy shall proceed to wind up the affairs of the trade union and after satisfying and providing for all the debts and liabilities of the trade union and the costs of winding up shall pay the surplus assets, if any, of the trade union —

(i)	where the Minister so directs, into the Consolidated Fund; or
(ii)	in the absence of a direction from the Minister, in accordance with the rules of the trade union.

Application

18B. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Ordinance to the contrary, the provisions of section 18A of this Ordinance shall apply as regards the disposal of the funds of a trade union not already disposed of prior to the 11th day of December, 1963, where the registration of such trade union has been refused, withdrawn, or cancelled before the 11th day of December, 1963.”.