L'institution syndicale comme agent frontière de l'exclusion sociale à Singapour

The Singapore government regulates 'non-resident' workers through categories of employment passes and repatriation in times of economic downturns. 'Non-residents' make up more than a third of Singapore's workforce; the 'resident' two thirds are citizens and permanent residents. Until recently, Singapore's 'non-resident' manual workers have been segregated from mainstream Singapore society, accommodated in dormitories and largely ignored by Singapore's trade unions. Such workplace grievances as have arisen with employers have been mediated by the Ministry of Manpower or the 'non-resident's' embassies. However, in late 2012 a group of bus drivers recruited from China, organised an illegal strike, something unknown in Singapore since 1977. Their action exposed to criticism by Singaporeans the government's reliance on foreign workers, including professionals and entrepreneurs. After the strike, following some prosecutions and repatriations, some National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) affiliates began to recruit foreign workers into their memberships. This paper reviews the political and social construction of Singapore's workforce, the re-emergence of industrial conflict, and the responses of the Singapore authorities to it. It reflects on the prospects for labour market regulation of partially incorporating foreign workers into its industrial relations system