Trade Unions Regulations

Every application made under section 9(1) of the Act for the registration of a trade union shall be substantially in Form B set out in the First Schedule.

Every statement accompanying an application under section 9(2)(c) of the Act shall state the personal particulars, occupation and designation of —

The registration of a trade union shall be made by entering in the register all the particulars prescribed in Form A set out in the First Schedule which are applicable.

The Registrar shall make all other entries in the register and any alteration or change in the register where it has been brought to his attention.

Where it is shown to the satisfaction of the Registrar that an error has been made in an entry in the register, that entry may be amended by the Registrar.

Every application for cancellation or withdrawal of registration of a registered trade union under section 15(1)(a) of the Act shall be substantially in Form D set out in the First Schedule and be signed by the secretary of the union and by not less than 7 other members and, if the union has a seal, the seal shall also be affixed thereto.

There shall be appended to every such application a certificate, signed by the secretary and the members of the trade union making it, to the effect that the statements contained in the application are to the best of their knowledge and belief true.

Notice of any change of the name of a registered trade union under section 35(1) of the Act shall be given substantially in Form F set out in the First Schedule.

The registration of a change of name shall be effected by entering in the register the particulars prescribed in item 8 of Form A set out in the First Schedule.

When the Registrar registers a change of name he shall certify under his signature at the foot of the certificate issued under regulation 5 that the new name has been registered. The secretary of the trade union shall present the certificate to the Registrar for this purpose.

Notice of every amalgamation of trade unions under section 35(1) of the Act shall be given substantially in Form G set out in the First Schedule.

When an amalgamated trade union is registered under section 35(4) of the Act, it shall be assigned a new number in the register and the particulars prescribed by regulation 3 shall be entered therein. The Registrar shall issue in respect of the amalgamated trade union a certificate in Form C set out in the First Schedule and shall also note the fact of amalgamation against the entries in the register, if any, relating to the trade unions so amalgamated.

When a registered trade union is dissolved, notice of the dissolution under section 42 of the Act shall be sent to the Registrar substantially in Form H set out in the First Schedule.

Together with the notice of dissolution under section 42 of the Act, the secretary of the union shall surrender the certificate issued under regulation 5. When the Registrar registers the dissolution, he shall send an intimation of the fact of such registration under his signature to the secretary of the trade union.

Application for the registration of any new rule or of any alteration made in the existing rules of a trade union under section 38(3) of the Act shall be made to the Registrar substantially in Form J set out in the First Schedule. The application shall be signed by the secretary.

[Deleted by S 185/93 wef 14/05/1993]

Every registered trade union shall —

The accounts and records kept by a registered trade union under paragraph (1) shall include such accounts and records as are necessary to show a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the registered trade union and to explain its transactions.

Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), the Registrar may, if he thinks it necessary, by notice in writing require any registered trade union to maintain such other accounts and records as may be specified in the notice.

The auditor or auditors appointed by a registered trade union with the Registrar’s approval to audit the registered trade union’s accounts must —

The particulars given in the statement mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) must indicate —

Any person may, on presentation of a written application to the Registrar and on payment of the prescribed fee, inspect the register of trade unions during office hours.

Any member of a registered trade union may, on presentation of a written application to the Registrar and on payment of the prescribed fee, inspect any document required to be submitted to the Registrar by the registered trade union under the Act or these Regulations.

Where any information in the register or any document submitted to the Registrar by a registered trade union under the Act or these Regulations is kept in an electronic form, the Registrar may, as he thinks fit —

The Registrar may at any time inspect all books and documents in the possession of or under the control of any registered trade union and any account kept by any registered trade union with any financial institution, and during such inspection the secretary and the treasurer of the union shall give every assistance in their power to the Registrar.

The secretary of a registered trade union shall, on a notice being served on the union by the Registrar, authorise in writing the financial institution at which the union’s account is kept to disclose to the Registrar the union’s account and documents incidental thereto.

The committee of every registered trade union shall open a current account with a bank in the name of the union, and all moneys received by the union, except moneys the disposal and custody of which are governed by rules relating to a benevolent fund, shall be paid into that account within 7 days of the receipt thereof, except that the treasurer or the secretary of the union may retain as cash-in-hand such sum as may, by the rules of the union, be prescribed. All cheques or withdrawal orders drawn on that account shall be signed by the following officers of the union:

The secretary of every registered trade union shall report to the Registrar the particulars of any other account opened or kept by the union with any other financial institution.

Where the Minister makes a direction by notice under section 16(2) of the Act, the committee shall suspend such officers who have powers of disposal and custody of any funds of the trade union under its constitution until such time as the investigation by the public authority is completed and shall inform the Registrar forthwith of the suspension.

The committee may appoint such other officers to carry out the duties of the officers under suspension by virtue of paragraph (2) subject to the approval of the Registrar.

A registered trade union must not create a benevolent fund unless rules governing the creation, administration, protection, control and disposal of the fund and governing all matters connected with or incidental to the fund have been approved in writing by the Registrar.

A registered trade union must not make any new rule or any alteration of any rule of an existing benevolent fund unless the new rule or alteration of any rule has been approved in writing by the Registrar.

An application for the approval of the rules of a benevolent fund under paragraph (1), or of any new rule or alteration of any rule of an existing benevolent fund under paragraph (2), must be —

The Registrar must not approve the rules of a benevolent fund or any new rule or alteration of any rule of an existing benevolent fund (as the case may be) unless the Registrar is satisfied that the interests of the members of the registered trade union in the benevolent fund are adequately safeguarded.

When the rules of a benevolent fund have been approved by the Registrar, the particulars prescribed by item 12 of Form A set out in the First Schedule must be entered in the register.

Every appeal to the Minister against —

Every such appeal shall indicate the refusal or order of the Registrar by which the appellant is aggrieved and shall state the ground on which the appeal is made.

Every such appeal shall be signed by the person aggrieved.

The appeal shall be considered and disposed of in such manner as the Minister thinks fit.

The return of the result of any secret ballot taken in accordance with section 39 of the Act in respect of the election of officers must be substantially in Form Q set out in the First Schedule.

The return of the result of any secret ballot taken in accordance with section 39 of the Act in respect of an amendment of the rules of the trade union, strikes, the dissolution of the trade union or any other matter affecting the members of the trade union generally must be substantially in Form R set out in the First Schedule.

The secretary of every registered trade union shall, on request by any person and on payment of a sum determined by the trade union, furnish that person with a copy of the rules of the trade union.

The sum referred to in paragraph (1) shall be a sum not exceeding $5.