VZCZCXRO4233
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGP #0139/01 0180752
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180752Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8462
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1994
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0495
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0882
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1440
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

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