Delay in Paying Salary

Recently, some of my friends told me they have not received their salary or got their pay delayed. The question is what can you do about it.

When we join a company there is a contract made between the employee and the company. The payment days for salary is stated and is therefore binding. We work for that employer for our salary. If we do not work then the employer would, quite rightly withhold or stop the pay. Employer to delay payment is a breech of the contract. However, there can be all sorts of reasons that the pay are late. If it is only a day or so then try to live with it. If it is a week, we must make him aware of his obligation. Do take note, when an employer starts to delay payment in this way it is a symptom of cash flow problem. Then this is a good time to start looking around for another job.

In this crisis, companies shut down warehouses/ factories and even suffer heavy losses, but employers still have to pay his employees salary. Company should not hold staffs' salary as staff morale will be greatly affected and company need employees to generate income. However, sometimes, if due to bad business, company would have no choice - employees will have to prepare for the worst.

One person I know did not receive his pay and he lodged a complaint to the MOM. However, MOM took a long time to act on the case. Eventually, he brought the matter to the Minister of Manpower and the progress sped up. After receiving his salary, he also lodged a complaint to the CPF board as the company did not contribute to his CPF after he received his salary.

"On December 30 last year, the PRC work permit holders approached the ministry for assistance over their employment disputes with their employers.
The key issues involved salary disputes from September to November 2008, and unhappiness with employers for attempting to revise certain employment terms.
MOM has advised workers who have disputes or grievances with their employers to report the matter to the ministry and allow the matter to be mediated or adjudicated in the Labour Court.
The ministry and the police would not hesitate to take firm action if any laws are violated."

The spokesman for the construction company replied by cautioning, ‘Workers going on strike as they did today is illegal. This is a regular salary dispute.’

Did he understand the seriousness of this or did he thinks the Ministry and Police will definitely protect the company if things get nasty, that's why they can ignored the workers' pleaded?