CODE OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS (IR) PRACTICE

Objective
To foster a partnership between management and unions/employees, harnessing the efforts of both to:
(i) develop a motivated and productive workforce to achieve business excellence;
(ii) realise employees’ full potential to enable them to earn higher incomes and live a better life;

And to contribute towards a harmonious workplace environment, strengthen tripartite collaboration and enhance Singapore’s overall competitiveness for economic growth.
STAGE - I
An aggrieved employee shall first take up his grievance in person with his immediate supervisor under whom he is working. Thereupon, the immediate supervisor shall carefully examine the employee's grievance and give him a reply within 3 days of the date on which the grievance was brought to his notice.
STAGE - ll
If the aggrieved employee feels that his grievances were not satisfactorily redressed by his immediate supervisor, he may submit his grievances in writing on the grievance documentation form.
a) Grievance documentation form should be filled in triplicate, original to be submitted to the officer at Stage I mentioned in Annexure - ll, second copy to be sent to Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone)/P&A Officer of the Regional Office and the third copy to be retained by the employee. The supervisor shall acknowledge receipt of the form and forward it with his comments to the officer mentioned at stage ll.
b) The officer at Stage ll shall review the grievance with the employee and record his disposition on the grievance documentation form and return it to the employee concerned within 7 days of receipt of the grievance documentation form. If the employee wishes, he may take one local union representative to discuss the matter with the authority.
c) If the employee is satisfied with the decision of the officer at Stage ll, he shall record his acceptance of the decision and return the grievance documentation form to the officer at Stage I indicating his acceptance on the Grievance documentation form. The officer at Stage ll in turn will send the same to Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone)/P&A Officer of the Region concerned for information and for further necessary action. If the employee is not satisfied with the decision of the Officer at stage ll, he shall record the reasons as to why he is not satisfied with the decision of the officer at Stage ll and submit the form to the officer at Stage lll mentioned in Annexure ll, with intimation to Sr. Manager - P&A(Zone)/Sr. P&A Officer of the Region concerned. The employee may note the decision of the officer at Stage ll on his copy of the grievance documentation form.
STAGE - lIl
a) The officer at Stage - lll shall review the matter and record his decision on the form and return the same to the employee through the officer at Stage - ll within a period of 2 weeks. He shall also intimate his decision to P&A Officer of the Region/Sr. Manager -P&A (Zone)/Chief P&A Manager (Mktg.)
b) If the employee is satisfied with the decision of the officer at Stage - lll, he shall record his acceptance on the grievance documentation form and return the same to P&A Officer of Region/Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone)/Chief P&A Manager - Mktg. through the Officer at Stage - ll. On receiving the form the Sr. P&A Officer of Region/Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone) of the Region will retain the documentation form with him for further action.
c) If the employee is still not satisfied, he shall record on the form the reasons for not being satisfied with the decision of the Officer at Stage - lll and forward the form to t he Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone) / Chief P&A Manager (Mktg.). The employee may note the decision of the officer at Stage - lll in his copy of grievance documentation form.
STAGE - IV
a) On receipt of the grievance documentation form, Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone)/Chief P&A Manager (Mktg.) may arrange for a meeting with 2 Management and 2 Union Representatives within 21 days. After discussing the matter, the Sr. Manager P&A (Zone)/Chief P&A Manager (Mktg.) will submit his findings to the officer at Stage - V and forward the grievance documentation form to Officer at Stage - V within one week of the meeting.
STAGE - V
a) On receipt of the report along with the grievance documentation form, the officer at Stage V will review the grievance of the employee and after making such enquiries, as he may consider necessary, he may pass his orders. The order of the Officer at Stage V will be final. He will communicate the order to the employee, to the Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone)/Chief P&A Manager (Mktg.). The Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone) / Chief P&A Manager
(Mktg.) will inform the authorities at Stages l, ll & lll for implementation of the decision. The grievance documentation form after final disposal will be kept in the custody of the Sr. Manager - P&A (Zone)/Chief P&A Manager (Mktg.).
DRAFTlNG OF CHARGE-SHEET OR SHOW CAUSE NOTICE

SERVICE OF SHOW CAUSE NOTICE/CHARGE-SHEET
Show Cause Notice/Charge-sheet has to be served on the delinquent employee; otherwise it may not be possible to proceed further in the matter.
It may be :
- Personally handed over and acknowledgment obtained or
- Sent by Registered Post A.D.
NOTE : If the employee refuses to accept the show cause notice/charge-sheet this may be recorded in writing and signed by the person serving it and by two other witnesses for the refusal. Thereafter, the charge-sheet/show cause notice may be sent by Registered Post A.D., Under Certificate of Posting and Ordinary Post. Refusal to accept Show Cause Notice/Charge-sheet when tendered in person/Registered Post A.D. and Under Certificate of Posting amounts to valid service. Such refusal further compounds the offence and the employee can be chargesheeted for it.