Two Singaporean non-governmental organizations have submitted a joint independent report to the United Nations highlighting the unsatisfactory employment terms and working conditions faced by many foreign domestic workers in the city-state due to substandard protection by local laws.
The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) charged that domestic workers were not protected by the Employment Act, Singapore’s main labor law, Lianhe Zaobao (Singapore) reported on the weekend.
At present, there are around 240,000 women from Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and other countries working as maids in Singapore. As they do not enjoy the same protections under the Employment Act as other types of workers, maids are often exploited by their employers, who force them to work long hours and deny them statutory holidays, annual leave or paid sick leave.
Though the government has mandated one day off a week for maids, many see their rest days canceled, as the authorities also allow employers to pay maids extra to work on their days off. Many women who owe their employment agencies money for job referrals give up their rest days for more wages in the hopes of settling their debts sooner.
According to HOME, many maids who seek assistance from the NGO earn around S$350 to S$650 (US$257-US$477) a month. If they are working more than 13 hours daily, some of them are making less than S$2 an hour.
In addition, at present maids are not permitted to change employers unless their bosses sign an agreement for them. In other words, foreign women are left almost no choices between accepting poor terms of employment or even violence from their bosses, or being sent back to their home countries.
All helpers in Singapore are entitled to a weekly day off. If they agree to less than that it is either their choice or because the agent pushed them to accept it. The compensation for days off worked is mandated by the government so no one should be short-changed unless the agency is cheating them.
The article talks about salary ranges from $350 – 5 years ago maybe, but not now. I would say $500 is an absolute minimum now.
Many employers are still not following the minimum salary and especially day off many still don’t let their maid go off early to go church service or any important activities in the morning and in going home after day off they still have to work.
At sana lng po yung off day po namin ay dapat maenjoy din namin kasi aalis kami ng late in the morning pero maaga din kami uwi para gawin ang ibang trabaho bago matulog..dapat pag offday ay walang trabaho.kaya nga offday eh.ang taiwan at hongkong maganda ang patakaran nila pag offday bakit ang singapore na nagmamalaki ng kalinisan at kaayusan ay hindi nila magawang maging fair sa mga katulong.
This is one of the factors why some analyst can’t fully accept Singapore as a 1st world nation just yet.
Yes it’s true….2times only my of day two Sunday without pay..
It’s true even your off day you need to do some works like washing the plates. It’s so horrible sometimes you don’t to go back home because this case every Sunday.Its so tiring and stress no consideration of this kind of employer. You already work Monday to Saturday.
Yes why is it so difficult to get release paper them,. I’ve been working 4years from this present employers, but since i wanted to seek higher salary so i ask for transfer ….
But they really unwilling to give…. I hope this would change in the future…
i think we should try applying to different country wth better salary n days off or those employers who knows n fallowing the rules so that their helper can work..happilly and positively because of the GOOD EMPLOYER..
Yah that’s true,, that’s why i break my contract and go back in Philippines..my salary $500 only…but now i plan to apply again going back singapore..i hope everything well change.
Indeed, I am one of them,I had curfew before 8pm must home and still got work,working more than 8hrs a day not even have enough rest or even no rest sometimes,less salary and not giving your personal needs,foods or food allowance if needed.
Its true me im working 18hours no rest whole day work and i have only 1off day
My indonesian neighbor never have off day during sunday..poor girl the chiness employer let her work long hrs and never paid the sunday and she tell me sometimes the emplyer dont give the whole salary and she can only call home 1 times in a month ????????
???? i hope MOM will take action to this matter
Thank you for bringing this problem.as well when the maid take off day .the agency tell the employer to deduct to the salary but they didn’t pay public holiday.hoping this problem will solve soon
Tge mean reason why some employers abusing their maid is that the agent told the employer how should the maid to be treated. Like madam don’t let her use cellphones, and pay her days off, and so on…i heard that many times in my agency before. We don’t have any choice if the employer will obey what the agent tought to them. It’s very unfair.we work so hard but they never care to us. That’s why i preferred to find an employer online after i break my contract to my previous employer. Because our agreement during interview was totaly ruined by my agent. That agency is no good!
Yah the same in my situation we r working 16-17 hrs a day for 600 salary and a 2 offday.. And one more thing is their childrens family pull us out also to do some work to there houses.. It seems like we r owned by all of their whole clan…. Then the worst thing is its about a yr aldy of my 2nd contract to them but i dont hold any new contract..
Singapore should think about this situation….
Taiwan and Hongkong far ahead when it comes to terms of working condition and salary compared to Singapore. It’s about time to follow suit. If Taiwan and Hongkong can do it, why not Singapore?
its time to upgrade the salary and also the time frame of working must 12hrs.only
Ys it is true..we also work for 16to 17hours..in 560$with two off days even in off day have to come home and work..
Yes its true i have friend from Philippines she has only 2 sundays off and her employer make her work 2 sundays and pay her $40