Enactment of the Factories Ordinance

The Factories Ordinance was a piece of legislation that sought to set minimum standards for the health, safety and welfare of workers in factories.^[1] Then Chief Minister and Minister for Labour and Welfare Lim Yew Hock introduced the Factories Ordinance in the Legislative Assembly on 22 April 1958.^[2] This ordinance was introduced as Singapore was experiencing industrial expansion.^[3] At that time, factory workers numbered about 120,000 and made up one-quarter of Singapore’s total labour force.^[4]

Modelled after the Factories Act, 1937 and 1948, of the United Kingdom,^[5] the Factories Ordinance was similar to British labour laws and closely followed the recommendations found in the International Labour Organisation Convention, but with changes made to suit the factory conditions in Singapore.^[6] With its promulgation on 1 June 1960, the Factories Ordinance repealed two earlier laws, the Machinery Ordinance and the Protection of Workers Ordinance. These two previous ordinances, enacted in the 1920s, were labour laws that safeguarded the welfare of workers. However, these laws became inadequate as the working conditions in Singapore factories changed with the advent of new technology.^[7]

The Factories Ordinance was administered by the Factory Inspectorate, which was headed by the Chief Inspector of Factories.^[8] The inspectorate checked 882 factories in the first six months after the ordinance was enacted.^[9]

References
1. Singapore. 1958 Supplement to the Laws of the State of Singapore. (1960). Factories Ordinance 1958 (Ord. 41 of 1958, pp. 187–190). Singapore: Printed by Lee Kim Heng, Acting Govt. Printer. Call no.: RCLOS 348.5957 SIN-[HWE].
2. Singapore. Legislative Assembly. Debates: Official Report. (1958, April 22). First Reading of the Factories Ordinance (Vol. 6, col. 56). Singapore: Legislative Assembly. Call no.: RCLOS 328.5957 SIN.
3. Singapore. Legislative Assembly. Debates: Official Report. (1958, October 8). Third Reading of the Factories Ordinance (Vol. 7, col. 856). Singapore: Legislative Assembly. Call no.: RCLOS 328.5957 SIN.
4. Singapore. Legislative Assembly. Debates: Official Report. (1958, June 11). Second Reading of the Factories Ordinance (Vol. 6, col. 352). Singapore: Legislative Assembly. Call no.: RCLOS 328.5957 SIN.
5. Leila bte Abdul Rahman. (1979). Safety provisions for the worker in Singapore (p. 1). Singapore: Malayan Law Journal. Call no.: RSING 344.59570465 LEI.
6. Singapore. Legislative Assembly. Debates: Official Report. (1958, June 11). Second Reading of the Factories Ordinance (Vol. 6, col. 352). Singapore: Legislative Assembly. Call no.: RCLOS 328.5957 SIN.
7. Debates: Official Report, 11 Jun 1958, Second Reading of the Factories Ordinance, Vol. 6, col. 352.
8. Singapore. (1962). Annual report of the Labour Department 1961 (p. 18). Singapore: The Department. Call no.: RCLOS 331 SIN.
9. Annual report of the Labour Department 1961, 1962, p. 113.