07-06-2025
Over 300 workers retrenched without pay as CCIC Singapore enters liquidation after US sanctions
Over 300 employees of CCIC Singapore, a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned enterprise, China Certification and Inspection Group (CCIC), have been retrenched without receiving their May 2025 salaries, following the company's abrupt move into liquidation after being blacklisted by the United States.
The sanctions, announced on 13 May 2025, targeted 15 companies, including CCIC Singapore, which the US Treasury Department accused of helping obscure the origin of Iranian oil shipped to China.
The firm reportedly provided inspection services during ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned oil cargo, including one involving 2 million barrels of Iranian oil.
CCIC Singapore, founded in 1989 and located at Singapore Science Park, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC), a Chinese state-owned firm under China's State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
Affected employees were formally notified of their retrenchment on 30 May, with terminations effective the next day.
According to three employees who spoke to CNA, most of CCIC Singapore's workforce—estimated to number over 300 in Singapore alone—is now jobless.
Employees said they were informed that the firm's liquidation process was underway, and retrenchment benefits would only be fully paid by 30 June 2026. In the meantime, workers remain unpaid for May and received only two weeks' salary for every year of service completed.
Surveyors and operations staff expressed frustration over the severance arrangement, noting that many relied on overtime and allowances to supplement basic pay. Junior surveyors earn less than S$1,000 monthly in base salary, with senior surveyors earning up to S$1,500.
Speaking anonymously, employees expressed anger over the handling of the retrenchments. They described communication from management as inconsistent, citing internal emails that promised job continuity and transfers to a new entity—only to be contradicted within a day.
On 14 May, an email from human resources assured employees of legal support and plans to establish a new company, backed by the Beijing headquarters. Staff were told they would be transferred without disruption. However, the following day, a second email urged recipients to disregard the earlier message.
Subsequent internal communication revealed the company was downsizing and unable to pay retrenchment benefits due to frozen bank accounts. The firm's managing director later travelled to Beijing for discussions, though staff were not informed of any resolutions before receiving their termination notices.
In an email sent to media on 6 June by a staff representative, employees highlighted several grievances: non-payment of wages, inadequate severance packages, lack of transparency, and absence of support for job placement. The letter described the situation as a breach of Singapore's Employment Act.
'Over 300 individuals and their families face immediate financial distress,' the letter read. 'This situation causes significant anxiety and hardship.'
The letter further alleged that the offered severance—two weeks per year of service—fell well below Singapore's prevailing retrenchment standards, which can range from one to three months' pay per year of service.
Employees also criticised the firm's leadership for failing to provide any apology or assurance, and questioned why CCIC's parent company had not intervened to ensure obligations to Singapore staff were met.
'This is a foreign company. They act like high and mighty, but they leave us in the lurch,' one employee told CNA. 'The top man doesn't even see us, talk to us.'
As of now, the Ministry of Manpower, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) have been approached by affected staff for assistance.
CNA has also reached out to CCIC Singapore, its parent company CCIC in China, and relevant authorities for comment. No responses have been published as of the date of this report.
The sanctions imposed by the US include a freeze on all US-linked assets of sanctioned entities and block any business engagement involving the US financial system. The US Treasury claims that Iran's illicit oil trade supports weapons development and terrorism, and CCIC Singapore was directly involved in enabling these operations by providing falsified documentation and inspection services.
With Singapore-based assets unfrozen, affected employees have also questioned why local resources cannot be used to cover immediate financial obligations, such as salary arrears.
