MOM refutes report on Chinese migrant workers

by Quek Sue Wen Carolyn
04:46 AM Aug 26, 2011


SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has refuted a report by a migrant workers' advocacy group here, which found workers from China to be victims of discriminatory attitudes, inadequate policies, poor social support and inconsistent enforcement of existing laws.

On The Exploitation of Migrant Chinese Construction Workers in Singapore report recently released by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics (HOME), the MOM said it does not present the full picture regarding the employment conditions.

The ministry also pointed out that the number of Chinese workers who had lodged complaints with it had fallen over the years, with 978 workers lodging their cases last year, compared to 1,500 in 2009. For the first six months of this year, 496 Chinese lodged their cases with the ministry, down from 569 over the same period last year.

The HOME report had brought up various issues regarding the legislation, education, blacklisting and contracts of foreign workers.

For example, it cited false information given by recruitment agents, salary arrears, poor quality meals, exploitative contracts and long working hours.

Among some points raised in its reply, the MOM said it takes stern action against an employer if it finds that a worker has been owed salary. So far this year, 15 employers and individuals have been prosecuted for salary arrears and failing to provide foreign workers with proper accommodation. Last year, 33 were prosecuted.

The MOM said that regulations do not allow employment agencies to offer incentive payments or rebates to employers as inducement to hire foreign workers through them.

The ministry is currently piloting a series of pre-departure orientation briefings for construction workers in China through Building and Construction Authority-approved overseas testing centres.

The briefings are meant to cover topics such as employment laws and terms, written contracts and agency fees.

The MOM said foreign workers are also informed of their employment rights and where they can go for help through the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letters which are sent to them in their home countries before they leave for Singapore.

These letters, which contain information such as monthly allowances, deductions and fees paid to Singapore employment agencies, are also sent to their employers.

The HOME report stated that workers feared being "blacklisted" by the Government for making complaints and creating trouble here. "Such fears are justified because the Ministry of Manpower's method of placing workers on a blacklist is not transparent. Workers do not have the opportunity to defend themselves against their employers' allegations since they would have been repatriated already," said the report.

To this, the MOM said: "While there may be cases of errant employers threatening to blacklist workers in order to obtain their quiescence, we can assure workers that MOM only debars individuals from obtaining work passes when we are factually certain that an employment-related infringement has been committed."

The ministry added that it also debars employers who flout employment laws and have shown themselves to be unsuitable employers of foreign manpower.

It said: "Sometimes contracts contain terms that are not in contravention of the Employment Act, but are nonetheless unreasonable. The MOM urges foreign workers not to sign contracts with exploitative or oppressive employment terms and conditions."


Via: http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC110826-0000292/MOM-refutes-report-on-Chinese-migrant-workers