IN A signal that a wave of retrenchments may be on the way, the number of unionised workers who have been asked to go on a shorter work week or to clear their leave has drastically spiked in the past month.

On Nov 25, when the labour movement began tracking the situation, there were 6,876 such workers. This has since more than doubled in one month - to 15,000.

The past seven days alone saw a 25 per cent jump in the number - up from 12,000 at the end of the previous week, said the National Trades Unions Congress (NTUC).

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.