Chaos at the NCS Hub: Workers Block Building for Unpaid Pay
Picture a quiet afternoon in Ang Mo Kio suddenly turning into a scene straight out of a comedy sketch – except this isn’t a joke. Nine overseas workers huddled around a delivery truck, holding up signs that read “pay us” and “unpaid wages” in Chinese, effectively sealing off the main entrance to the NCS Hub.
How the Drama Unfolded
- Time & Spot: Around 1:50 pm on Tuesday at 5 Ang Mo Kio Street 62.
- What They Did: Blocked the door, made themselves a one‑time protest stage.
- Who’s Involved: Workers aged 28‑54, mostly from Zhengda Corporation and a handful of others.
- Result: No arrests – just a laid‑back walk back to their dorms after the police dispersed them.
Why They Blocked the Door
A local database manager, who prefers to stay anonymous as Mr Murali, was trying to grab a quick lunch when he spotted the blockade. He noted:
“I saw a security guard snapping photos of the truck and five guys holding up those signs. About 20 people – NCS staff, construction crew – were standing around. When I asked one of them in Tamil, he said they hadn’t been paid for three months.”
Official Response
When the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) got a ring from the police, they dropped the heat:
- MOM & the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) are on the case, chatting with the workers.
- Holy‑cashed, the workers have gone calm back to their dorms.
- Shot: Shanghai Chong Kee’s MD, Harry Tan, confirmed the men aren’t his company’s employees.
For the record: Shanghai Chong Kee, the main contractor swooping in for the lobby makeover, said they were just a piece of a bigger puzzle. Their subcontractor, Zhengda Corporation, flew in six workers (four Chinese, two Bangladeshi) from 4 Aug to 27 Sep, but seems the payroll got lost in two‑month fog.
The Law Angle
Trying to organize a protest without a permit? Watch the fine – up to $3,000 might be on your doorstep. But for the nine, the police just waved them off. The act says it’s illegal, and they’re standing at the broken records of that punitive law.
TL;DR
Workers, unpaid, barricade NCS Hub. Police smile, no arrests. MOM and TADM step in, hand out calm. The legal fine’s a cautionary note: no unauthorized rallies, no funny business.
