Singapore Jobs News: Payouts for those who get bird flu on the job

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Payouts for those who get bird flu on the job

By Soh Wen Lin

WHETHER they work on chicken farms or in labs, employees who contract the bird flu while on the job now qualify for compensation following amendments to the Workmen's Compensation Act which took effect yesterday.

The news is a welcome development for the poultry industry, whose workers have adopted precautions in recent weeks including taking flu vaccines, changing gloves and masks daily, and even helping with a government-led chicken culling exercise tomorrow.

According to the changes, announced by the Manpower Ministry (MOM) yesterday, compensation is payable to manual labourers regardless of their salary, and to non- manual labour employees who earn $1,600 or less a month.

Those covered by the Act will now include anyone involved in the caring or breeding of animals and birds, such as those who work on poultry farms or in abattoirs, those who may transport or trade in such animals, or workers involved in culling exercises.

As the amendment is aimed specifically at the avian flu, those involved in the lab work and research on the virus, services related to such research, or in inspecting such animals would also be covered, the ministry said in response to queries yesterday.

Compensation will be based on a number of factors including the degree of permanent incapacity, as well as the worker's pay and age.

'It will help morale among our employees,' said Seng Choon Farm assistant marketing manager Koh Kiam Nee.

Seng Choon is one of seven poultry farms here which together house 2.1 million birds.

Mr Chiew Kian Huat, secretary of the Poultry Merchants' Association of Singapore, said he was glad workers would now have an official avenue for their claims.

He reckoned that larger farms here had about 100 workers each while smaller farms had about 30 each.

Still, he was worried that employers could be in a jam if they had to make a payout but found that their workmen's compensation insurance policies did not cover bird flu.

An MOM spokesman said 'the employer has to pay out of his own means if there is no valid insurance coverage'.

But insurance industry sources said yesterday that their understanding was that as such policies were pegged to the Workmen's Compensation Act, these would have to be updated automatically should the law be amended.

WHO'S COVERED

COMPENSATION is payable to manual labourers regardless of their salary, and to non-manual labour employees who earn $1,600 or less a month.

Anyone involved in the caring or breeding of animals and birds, such as those who work on poultry farms or in abattoirs, those who may transport or trade in such animals, or those involved in culling.

Those involved in lab work and research on the virus, services related to such research, or in inspecting such animals.