SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has suspended the work pass privileges of two employers for failing to arrange for their workers to undergo rostered routine testing (RRT) for Covid-19.

This means that they will no longer be able to employ the two workers they failed to send for testing, and will be unable to hire new workers through the work pass system until the suspension is lifted.

"The affected workers have been given a grace period to look for alternative employment, as they were not complicit with the breach of requirements," said the joint statement by MOM, the Economic Development Board, the Building and Construction Authority and the Health Promotion Board on Friday (Oct 16).

MOM said that it took action after the employers failed to provide either valid reasons or to submit an exemption request for their workers. Both employers had failed to send one worker each for RRT, said the ministry.

Since it was made compulsory for employers to send their workers for RRT on Sept 5, MOM said the vast majority of about 260,000 workers have either undergone or are scheduled to undergo testing.

About 2,200 workers who are required to undergo testing have not yet done so, and will be unable to return to work until they do as their access code status will remain red.

Workers may also have a red access code if they are placed on precautionary quarantine while their exposure to a positive case is being investigated, if they no longer have the TraceTogether app installed on their mobile device, or if they are required to undergo rostered routine testing but did not do so.

Workers must have a green access code before they are allowed to return to work.

In the statement, MOM said it will continue to take action against errant employers or workers who persistently fail to schedule or attend their RRT sessions without valid reasons.

Penalties include the revocation of work passes and suspension of work pass privileges.