IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SINGAPORE 000139 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INL/HSTC LABOR FOR ILAB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KCRM ELAB KWMN SN SUBJECT: IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN SINGAPORE REF: A. SINGAPORE 3468 ¶B. SINGAPORE 3250 ¶C. SINGAPORE 3115 Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) Singaporean civil society over the past year has become increasingly vocal in publicly advocating better treatment of foreign workers in Singapore. While the Singapore government has fairly tight labor regulations to protect foreign workers from abuse and exploitation, some workers, particularly among the unskilled "work permit holders," continue to face problems. Local media outlets, ordinary citizens, and private industry are actively debating how Singapore should regulate its foreign community and protect all residents from exploitation and abuse. End summary. Filling in the Gaps -------------- ¶2. (U) Singapore relies heavily on "foreign talent" to fill in the gaps in its labor force -- in industries from construction to biotechnology -- and is currently home to about 620,000 foreign workers from countries such as India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and China. A declining birth rate and economic expansion plans mean that large scale immigration will likely continue; some analysts even have advocated encouraging immigration to double the current population to eight million. Approximately 540,000 of the foreign workers currently in Singapore are unskilled or semi-skilled workers holding a two-year work permit to labor in industries such as construction or domestic work; the rest are skilled workers staying in Singapore on an Employment Pass or "S Pass." ¶3. (U) There are some significant differences to how the classes of foreign workers are regulated. Generally, Employment and S Pass holders may bring their dependents to Singapore with them; Work Permit holders may not. Employers of Employment and S Pass holders are not responsible for their room, board, and medical care; employers of Work Permit holders are. The Employment Act that regulates working conditions and compensation covers most Singaporean and foreign workers; it does not cover seamen, maids, and persons holding managerial and executive positions. The Employment of Foreign Workers Act covers all foreign workers. It specifies how and when foreign workers may be employed, sets out penalties for employers and employees violating these conditions, and gives the Ministry of Manpower the authority to set requirements for the payment, housing, and medical care of foreign workers. Domestic workers -------------- ¶4. (U) Singapore's 150,000 foreign domestic workers (FDWs) face the most serious labor problems. The GOS has put substantial effort into combating abuse and exploitation of maids, and substantiated abuse cases have dropped by more than 60 percent over the past 8 years. Despite the progress, cases continue to emerge -- for example, a local housewife was recently charged with 80 counts of abuse. Singapore's civil society is taking up the foreign workers' cause: at least two NGOs have been created in the last eighteen months specifically to address foreign workers rights, and private citizens and established advocacy groups have become increasingly vocal in pressing the government to introduce greater legal rights and protections for foreign domestic workers. ¶5. (SBU) The local media highlight the plight of maids in Singapore every few days, and new government measures are widely discussed on local blogs, online forums and the write-in pages of the local newspapers. In the weeks since Human Rights Watch (HRW) published the scathing report on FDWs that prompted a strong public GOS reaction (ref A), Singaporeans have debated the merits of the report extensively in these forums. While noting that the HRW report may not be "absolutely correct," most commentaries acknowledged that maids are vulnerable to abuse here, and SINGAPORE 00000139 002 OF 003 called on the government and the community to take a closer look at the issues the report raised. One Straits Times senior writer wrote that Singaporeans' failure to confront the wrong that is being done is "a glaring fault in our national character." Privately, Ministry of Manpower officials have told us that the Human Rights Watch report was "useful" and highlighted some issues that Singapore needs to address. ¶6. (U) Private industry is making efforts to help protect domestic workers -- the Association of Employment Agencies in Singapore (AEAS) has publicly called for better treatment and regulation of maids, and has increased its own efforts to supervise the industry. For example, both AEAS and the other agency that accredits employment agencies, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE),now require accredited employment agencies to have a standard contract with a mandated monthly rest day. (Note: An agency must be accredited to obtain a license to operate.) In response to stricter guidance from the accrediting organizations, employment agencies appear to have stepped up efforts to police themselves by monitoring maids' welfare. In one recent case, an employment agency in May reported one of its clients to the police when it discovered she was pimping for her maid. The employer was convicted, received a hefty fine, and may forfeit her flat. Another employment agency has responded to reports of ill-treatment or neglect at Indonesian "training" centers by opening its own training facility in Batam. Singtel announced it will now print the Ministry of Manpower's FDW crisis hotline numbers and information on maids' rights on its prepaid calling cards. ¶7. (U) The government continues to modify its regulations and programs dedicated to ensuring domestic workers' welfare as issues arise. For example, it has imposed more specific rules on when employers must pay their employees, and increased oversight of employment agencies. On December 27, the Ministry of Manpower announced that it was seeking subsidiary legislation to the Employment Agencies Act that will allow it to take swifter and faster action against errant employment agencies -- MOM will be able to compound minor offenses and fine agencies up to SGD 2,000 without taking them to court. It will also implement a demerit system, effective February 1st, under which breaches of the Employment Agencies Act will earn between 3 and 12 demerits; an agency that earns 12 demerits in a calendar year will immediately lose its license. MOM will maintain list of all 1,200 Employment agencies and their current tally of demerits on its website, allowing potential employers to check up on agencies and increasing the impact of punishment for infractions by publicly shaming offenders. ¶8. (U) The Singapore government is also strictly enforcing its regulations. The Ministry of Manpower has revoked the licenses of at least six employment agencies so far this year for failing to adhere to Singapore's requirements for recruiting and employing maids, and at least 13 are facing prosecution for violating government regulations. At a recent International Migrant Workers' Day event, a well-known local advocate for foreign workers credited the Ministry of Manpower with making a sincere and strong effort to combat abuse of foreign workers. Construction and Blue Collar Workers -------------- ¶7. (U) Blue collar foreign workers have had far fewer problems than their domestic worker counterparts -- probably due largely to greater regulation and less isolated working conditions -- but have also begun to attract the attention of groups and citizens promoting more rights and better care for foreign workers. Although Singapore has very specific regulations governing workplace safety, living conditions, and medical care that foreign workers are entitled to, a number of high-profile construction accidents and scandals have prompted strong responses from local citizens. Such cases are reported and commented on extensively in the local media. In one instance, media reports that a local construction company was locking workers in their dormitory prompted a Member of Parliament to "raid" the dorm, exposing the substandard living conditions within. The National Trade Unions Congress (the national federation of labor unions) has SINGAPORE 00000139 003 OF 003 set up a Migrant Workers' Forum, headed by a ruling party MP, which is pressing the government to ensure that all foreign workers in Singapore are treated fairly. Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Calls for better treatment and greater legal protection for foreign workers are at least in part in recognition of the need to continue to attract blue collar and white collar workers to Singapore. Some of the public concern may also arise from embarrassment at the "ugly Singaporean" who does not live up to Singapore's image as a law-abiding, first-world society. We anticipate that civil society leaders will continue to work within the system and press for improved protection for foreign workers. HERBOLD