The following article was published in the Straits Times on 18 Sep 2008.
Temporary Housing Sites Still Needed
The Strait Times
Sep 18, 2008
THE foreign worker population here went up by 102,000 last year, double the jump of 55,000 a year ago.
And with major contruction works lined up, a let-up is unlikely.
The influx is ruffling a growing number of feathers too: Complaints relating to illegal housing of foreign workers numbered 300 last year, but the number has already shot past 300 so far this year.
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said yesterday that restricting the number of foreign workers is not an option for the next couple of years if the economy is to grow.
The question is how they can be housed properly and, until more permanent housing becomes available in 2011, temporary facilities have to be created from nowvacant state buildings.
As at the end of last year, there were 577,000 foreign workers here, excluding maids. Of these, 180,000, or one-third, were doing construction work.
An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 are housed in illegal accommodations or living in conditions that are 'not ideal', Mr Mah noted.
Given that minimum standards of public health should be provided where they live, he listed four ways to house them.
# Residential housing: in rented public housing or in private residential developments.
# On-site living: on the grounds of or close to large construction projects.
# Purpose-built dormitories: sited further away from residential areas or within or near industrial estates.
# Factory-converted dormitories: Factory owners can convert 40 per cent of their industrial premises into dormitories. Guidelines have also been relaxed to allow such facilities to operate as commercial dorms.
But he noted that pursuing these options still leaves a housing shortage for foreign workers in the short term. This makes it necessary to identify sites for temporary accommodation lasting two to five years. Ten sites are being explored for such use.
But even if all these sites are converted into housing for workers, it will still not totally meet the demand, said Mr Mah.
He stressed that while efforts would be made to house workers in ways that would minimise noise and inconvenience to nearby residents, it would not be socially desirable or possible to totally segregate them.
With Singapore's limited land area, creating huge foreign workers' communities like those in the Middle East would not be possible, he added.
Does the lack of housing for foreign workers reflect poor planning?
Mr Mah said projects such as the two integrated resorts needed construction workers, and large investments calling for huge factories also required process workers.
'Yes, we do some planning but the build-up of the spaces requires quite a lot of lead time so we could not anticipate that...To call it poor planning, to call it one of the problems of success because we were so successful, we did not anticipate this kind of issue.'
One option, he said, was to look into building self-contained complexes or campuses that house up to 20,000 workers.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Self-contained communities the answer to housing woes?
The following article was published in The Straits Times on 16 September 2008.
Self-contained communities the answer to housing woes?
By ARLINA ARSHAD
The Straits Times
16/09/2008
IF SELF-CONTAINED communities for foreign workers are to be set up, the search for expertise need not go beyond home turf.
Home-grown company Mini Environment Service (MES) already has legs in the business: It designed two such communities in the Middle East and runs four dormitories here.
The one in Qatar serves 50,000 workers, and the one in Abu Dhabi, 125,000. Each has a motel, polyclinic and a canteen that can seat 6,000 people, said company director Mohamad Abdul Jalil.
He reckons that the industry here has 100,000 to 150,000 bed spaces – clearly insufficient for the 500,000 male foreign workers here.
"At the very least, we should have half, or 250,000 bed spaces. But we don't even have that many," he said.
He added that it is possible to set up self-contained communities here, but that they had to be away from residential areas to avoid social problems.
Other dormitory operators here also think such communities are feasible. Going by building requirements here, 6ha to 7ha of land would be needed for 19,000 to 20,000 workers. Tuas and Lim Chu Kang are possible sites, said veteran dormitory consultant Lakshmanan S.
"Each dormitory has 3,000 to 8,000 workers. A community would put three to four dormitories together. We think Singapore is land-scarce but there's space. It's not a major issue," he added.
But some dormitory operators here say a study should first be done. Mr Andy Low, the general manager of EM Services, which rents out flats to workers, said some contractors do not want a dormitory too far from the workplace, or may not want their workers mingling with others.
"Singapore is small so, no matter where you put them, they will still be close to estates. What will the impact of such communities be on estates? A study must look into this," he said.
Mr Lakshmanan pointed out that worker communities may not isolate workers as effectively as intended: "The workers will still find the best deals outside. They look for certain brands of beer in the heartland or shop at Sheng Siong because it's cheaper."
The Government has said it will release 11 new dormitory sites by 2010, which will add 65,000 more bed spaces.
At least four new dormitories will open this year and take in 20,000 workers, though this will hardly make a dent in easing the housing shortage for workers, said dormitory operators.
The new purpose-built workers' dormitories constructed by Aik Chuan Construction in Jurong, Sembawang, Yishun and Lim Chu Kang will have facilities like central kitchens, dining and laundry areas, recreational rooms and gymnasiums. Each can house 4,000 to 8,000 workers.
Self-contained communities the answer to housing woes?
By ARLINA ARSHAD
The Straits Times
16/09/2008
IF SELF-CONTAINED communities for foreign workers are to be set up, the search for expertise need not go beyond home turf.
Home-grown company Mini Environment Service (MES) already has legs in the business: It designed two such communities in the Middle East and runs four dormitories here.
The one in Qatar serves 50,000 workers, and the one in Abu Dhabi, 125,000. Each has a motel, polyclinic and a canteen that can seat 6,000 people, said company director Mohamad Abdul Jalil.
He reckons that the industry here has 100,000 to 150,000 bed spaces – clearly insufficient for the 500,000 male foreign workers here.
"At the very least, we should have half, or 250,000 bed spaces. But we don't even have that many," he said.
He added that it is possible to set up self-contained communities here, but that they had to be away from residential areas to avoid social problems.
Other dormitory operators here also think such communities are feasible. Going by building requirements here, 6ha to 7ha of land would be needed for 19,000 to 20,000 workers. Tuas and Lim Chu Kang are possible sites, said veteran dormitory consultant Lakshmanan S.
"Each dormitory has 3,000 to 8,000 workers. A community would put three to four dormitories together. We think Singapore is land-scarce but there's space. It's not a major issue," he added.
But some dormitory operators here say a study should first be done. Mr Andy Low, the general manager of EM Services, which rents out flats to workers, said some contractors do not want a dormitory too far from the workplace, or may not want their workers mingling with others.
"Singapore is small so, no matter where you put them, they will still be close to estates. What will the impact of such communities be on estates? A study must look into this," he said.
Mr Lakshmanan pointed out that worker communities may not isolate workers as effectively as intended: "The workers will still find the best deals outside. They look for certain brands of beer in the heartland or shop at Sheng Siong because it's cheaper."
The Government has said it will release 11 new dormitory sites by 2010, which will add 65,000 more bed spaces.
At least four new dormitories will open this year and take in 20,000 workers, though this will hardly make a dent in easing the housing shortage for workers, said dormitory operators.
The new purpose-built workers' dormitories constructed by Aik Chuan Construction in Jurong, Sembawang, Yishun and Lim Chu Kang will have facilities like central kitchens, dining and laundry areas, recreational rooms and gymnasiums. Each can house 4,000 to 8,000 workers.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
MOM officer charged with 21 counts of corruption
This article was posted by Channel News Asia on 12 Sep 08.
MOM officer charged with 21 counts of corruption
By Greta Georges, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 September 2008
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/375426/1/.html
SINGAPORE: A Manpower Ministry (MOM) officer Law Boon Seng has been charged in court on Friday with 21 counts of corruption.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau or CPIB launched an operation in January last year to catch an illegal labour supplying syndicate which was believed to be bribing officers from the Ministry's Foreign Manpower Management Department.
Investigations revealed that from March 2005 to December 2006, Yeo Eng Kiat, the Director of Sheng Yun Services, and a sub-contractor of Maint Tech Contractors paid Law, who was the Group Leader at his department, a monthly bribe of between S$1,000 and S$1,500.
In return, Law gave tip-offs of MOM's impending raids. The total amount Law received was S$24,500.
If convicted, Law faces a fine of up to S$100,000, or jail of up to five years, or both.
- CNA/yb
MOM officer charged with 21 counts of corruption
By Greta Georges, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 September 2008
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/375426/1/.html
SINGAPORE: A Manpower Ministry (MOM) officer Law Boon Seng has been charged in court on Friday with 21 counts of corruption.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau or CPIB launched an operation in January last year to catch an illegal labour supplying syndicate which was believed to be bribing officers from the Ministry's Foreign Manpower Management Department.
Investigations revealed that from March 2005 to December 2006, Yeo Eng Kiat, the Director of Sheng Yun Services, and a sub-contractor of Maint Tech Contractors paid Law, who was the Group Leader at his department, a monthly bribe of between S$1,000 and S$1,500.
In return, Law gave tip-offs of MOM's impending raids. The total amount Law received was S$24,500.
If convicted, Law faces a fine of up to S$100,000, or jail of up to five years, or both.
- CNA/yb
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Number of work-related accidents up almost 7% on-year in H1
The following article was published by CNA on 10 Sept 2008.
Number of work-related accidents up almost 7% on-year in H1
283 words
10 September 2008
Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE: Number of work-related accidents in the first half of 2008 was up seven per cent from the same period last year to more than 5,200 cases.
According to statistics by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council released on Wednesday, less severe injuries such as temporary disablements contributed to the bulk of the increase.
These mainly came from construction, ship building and ship repair, transport and storage, and the hotel sector.
There were 26 fatal accidents in the first half of 2008, same as last year.
However, with some of the accidents claiming multiple victims, the number of workplace fatalities rose to 32 in the first six months of 2008, up from 28 in the previous year.
The overall fatality rate at the half-year mark, was 1.5 deaths per 100, 000 persons employed, up from 1.3 a year ago.
Commenting on the sobering statistics, Chairman of the WSH Council's construction and landscaping committee, Jackson Yap, said employers in the construction and marine sectors must do more.
He said management must be able to effectively manage the larger numbers of new and relatively inexperienced foreign workers who are in Singapore to help meet the increased workload.
Mr Yap continued to say that one important area is providing appropriate and adequate safety training for all workers, including direct employee and contract workers.
He said workers must possess the necessary safety skills before being assigned to work tasks.
Mr Yap also revealed that the Council's new Logistics and Transportation Committee is working on a programme to improve the safe use of transport vehicles.
(c) 2008 MediaCorp News Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved
Number of work-related accidents up almost 7% on-year in H1
283 words
10 September 2008
Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE: Number of work-related accidents in the first half of 2008 was up seven per cent from the same period last year to more than 5,200 cases.
According to statistics by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council released on Wednesday, less severe injuries such as temporary disablements contributed to the bulk of the increase.
These mainly came from construction, ship building and ship repair, transport and storage, and the hotel sector.
There were 26 fatal accidents in the first half of 2008, same as last year.
However, with some of the accidents claiming multiple victims, the number of workplace fatalities rose to 32 in the first six months of 2008, up from 28 in the previous year.
The overall fatality rate at the half-year mark, was 1.5 deaths per 100, 000 persons employed, up from 1.3 a year ago.
Commenting on the sobering statistics, Chairman of the WSH Council's construction and landscaping committee, Jackson Yap, said employers in the construction and marine sectors must do more.
He said management must be able to effectively manage the larger numbers of new and relatively inexperienced foreign workers who are in Singapore to help meet the increased workload.
Mr Yap continued to say that one important area is providing appropriate and adequate safety training for all workers, including direct employee and contract workers.
He said workers must possess the necessary safety skills before being assigned to work tasks.
Mr Yap also revealed that the Council's new Logistics and Transportation Committee is working on a programme to improve the safe use of transport vehicles.
(c) 2008 MediaCorp News Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved
Monday, September 8, 2008
'I'm disappointed that they don't trust us'
The following article appeared in the Straits Times on 7 Sept 08.
'I'm disappointed that they don't trust us'
07 September 2008
Straits Times
Where from: Many come from the central and western areas of Myanmar.
Likely to see them: At construction sites and Peninsula Plaza.
Living in: Dormitories in Jurong West, Toh Guan off Bukit Batok, and Kaki Bukit.
Mr Jonathan Thang, 45, has been in Singapore since 1997. He was a government clerk and paid $1,600 to come here, leaving behind his spouse, a housewife, and four children in the town of Falam in the north-western part of Myanmar.
He earns $800 a month as a construction worker with Sanko, a Japanese electrical and instrumentation construction company, and remits $500 home monthly. He has four days off each month.
Mr Thang intends to return to his country in two years and dreams of seeing his children, aged 16 to 21, work in Singapore as white-collar workers. He spoke in English.
How do Singaporeans tend to see you?
I feel a bit disappointed that Singaporeans don't trust us. They are very scared that we want to steal their things or rob them. The way they talk, the way they look at us, especially in shopping centres - like when I want to buy a pair of trousers, the shopkeeper follows me wherever I go, like he is scared that I will steal something.
How do you feel about this?
We are also human beings. We know the laws in Singapore. We know that, in Singapore, we have to follow the rules.
We are just here to earn money. We do nothing to you. Why are you scared of us? We have our own discipline, and we don't want to make any trouble.
Singaporeans think foreign workers have bad habits. How true is this?
When we speak, sometimes we shout or speak loudly because that is our habit. But it's not true that we drink every day and get drunk. I usually drink only once a month, when I get my salary. We are very tired, so when we get our salary, we want to relax.
When I arrived here, I had to stop smoking because there are so many places where you cannot smoke. I also had to stop littering.
Where should foreign workers live if Singaporeans don't want workers to live near them?
Our culture and traditions are different, so there might be problems between Singaporeans and us.
Maybe the Government should consider building one big place for all foreign workers to live in. It should have enough supplies, supermarkets and canteens.
Last words
I miss my children, but I tell them that I'm struggling for their future. I've gone back three times so far, and I miss them a lot, so I call them once every week.
(c) 2008 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
'I'm disappointed that they don't trust us'
07 September 2008
Straits Times
Where from: Many come from the central and western areas of Myanmar.
Likely to see them: At construction sites and Peninsula Plaza.
Living in: Dormitories in Jurong West, Toh Guan off Bukit Batok, and Kaki Bukit.
Mr Jonathan Thang, 45, has been in Singapore since 1997. He was a government clerk and paid $1,600 to come here, leaving behind his spouse, a housewife, and four children in the town of Falam in the north-western part of Myanmar.
He earns $800 a month as a construction worker with Sanko, a Japanese electrical and instrumentation construction company, and remits $500 home monthly. He has four days off each month.
Mr Thang intends to return to his country in two years and dreams of seeing his children, aged 16 to 21, work in Singapore as white-collar workers. He spoke in English.
How do Singaporeans tend to see you?
I feel a bit disappointed that Singaporeans don't trust us. They are very scared that we want to steal their things or rob them. The way they talk, the way they look at us, especially in shopping centres - like when I want to buy a pair of trousers, the shopkeeper follows me wherever I go, like he is scared that I will steal something.
How do you feel about this?
We are also human beings. We know the laws in Singapore. We know that, in Singapore, we have to follow the rules.
We are just here to earn money. We do nothing to you. Why are you scared of us? We have our own discipline, and we don't want to make any trouble.
Singaporeans think foreign workers have bad habits. How true is this?
When we speak, sometimes we shout or speak loudly because that is our habit. But it's not true that we drink every day and get drunk. I usually drink only once a month, when I get my salary. We are very tired, so when we get our salary, we want to relax.
When I arrived here, I had to stop smoking because there are so many places where you cannot smoke. I also had to stop littering.
Where should foreign workers live if Singaporeans don't want workers to live near them?
Our culture and traditions are different, so there might be problems between Singaporeans and us.
Maybe the Government should consider building one big place for all foreign workers to live in. It should have enough supplies, supermarkets and canteens.
Last words
I miss my children, but I tell them that I'm struggling for their future. I've gone back three times so far, and I miss them a lot, so I call them once every week.
(c) 2008 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Labour law to cover more workers
The following article was published in The Straits Times on 3 September 2008.
Labour law to cover more workers
By GOH CHIN LIAN
The Straits Times, p.A3
03/09/2008
Proposed changes to benefit confidential staff and lower-paid workers
A LABOUR law which has not been changed in 13 years will soon be amended to keep it up to date with today's labour market conditions.
The Manpower Ministry is tabling for public consultation a slew of proposed changes to the Employment Act, which offers basic benefits such as salary protection, minimum employment terms and dispute resolution.
Among the beneficiaries of the proposed changes will be some 153,000 "confidential staff", such as accounts assistants, human resource clerks and secretaries.
These have been excluded from the Employment Act so far because it was deemed that their access to company information could lead to potential conflicts of interest and allow unions an unfair bargaining advantage.
In today's corporate world, however, sensitive information is largely handled by senior management, said the Manpower Ministry when explaining the proposed change.
Also to benefit from the proposed changes: About 44,000 executives and junior managers who earn up to $2,500 a month. They will be able to go to the Labour Court for salary disputes, where previously they could not.
This change recognises the increased share of professionals, managers, executives and technicians in the workplace, said the ministry.
Their proportion has gone up from 40 per cent of the resident workforce in 1997 to 49 per cent last year.
They used to be excluded from the Act as it was assumed that they could protect their own interests by going to the civil courts.
But this process can be long-drawn and costly, so the ministry is offering those paid below $2,500 access to the Labour Court.
The Employment Act currently covers some 1.4 million workers. Senior managers, seamen, domestic workers and government employees are excluded, and will continue to be excluded even after the changes.
The proposed changes also factor in the outsourcing boom that has swelled the ranks of contract workers, from 59,400 in 2001 to 183,000 in June last year, and shortened employment tenures. One-year contracts are now not uncommon.
As a result, the ministry proposes that those who have worked at least three months can now qualify for paid sick leave, instead of six months.
Also, part-time employment will be redefined as working 35 hours or less a week, instead of 30 hours or less.
Many companies told the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) that the 30-hours cap limited their ability to offer part-time work, said its executive director Koh Juan Kiat.
The change will give them fresh impetus to offer such work and attract more women back into the workforce, he said.
In proposing the changes, the ministry said it struck a balance between protecting workers' interests and ensuring Singapore's labour market stays flexible and competitive.
The SNEF and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) have already been consulted on the proposed changes, it said.
NTUC deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob told The Straits Times yesterday that the labour movement has been championing the cause of confidential staff for years, as some of them do not earn high pay.
It has also been asking for the salary ceilings to qualify for benefits to be raised, in line with median salaries here.
She said: "If the salary ceiling is not revised, more and more employees will be excluded from the ambit of the Act."
The Manpower Ministry is indeed revising the salary ceiling, raising it from $1,500 {SEE CORRECTION ABOVE} to $2,000 for workers who come within the Act's ambit.
More details of the proposed changes can be found on the Government feedback portal, www.reach.gov.sg. The public can submit feedback by e-mail to MOM_WPSD_EA@mom.gov.sg.
Public consultation ends on Sept 22.
The proposed amendments are due to be tabled in Parliament next month.
Labour law to cover more workers
By GOH CHIN LIAN
The Straits Times, p.A3
03/09/2008
Proposed changes to benefit confidential staff and lower-paid workers
A LABOUR law which has not been changed in 13 years will soon be amended to keep it up to date with today's labour market conditions.
The Manpower Ministry is tabling for public consultation a slew of proposed changes to the Employment Act, which offers basic benefits such as salary protection, minimum employment terms and dispute resolution.
Among the beneficiaries of the proposed changes will be some 153,000 "confidential staff", such as accounts assistants, human resource clerks and secretaries.
These have been excluded from the Employment Act so far because it was deemed that their access to company information could lead to potential conflicts of interest and allow unions an unfair bargaining advantage.
In today's corporate world, however, sensitive information is largely handled by senior management, said the Manpower Ministry when explaining the proposed change.
Also to benefit from the proposed changes: About 44,000 executives and junior managers who earn up to $2,500 a month. They will be able to go to the Labour Court for salary disputes, where previously they could not.
This change recognises the increased share of professionals, managers, executives and technicians in the workplace, said the ministry.
Their proportion has gone up from 40 per cent of the resident workforce in 1997 to 49 per cent last year.
They used to be excluded from the Act as it was assumed that they could protect their own interests by going to the civil courts.
But this process can be long-drawn and costly, so the ministry is offering those paid below $2,500 access to the Labour Court.
The Employment Act currently covers some 1.4 million workers. Senior managers, seamen, domestic workers and government employees are excluded, and will continue to be excluded even after the changes.
The proposed changes also factor in the outsourcing boom that has swelled the ranks of contract workers, from 59,400 in 2001 to 183,000 in June last year, and shortened employment tenures. One-year contracts are now not uncommon.
As a result, the ministry proposes that those who have worked at least three months can now qualify for paid sick leave, instead of six months.
Also, part-time employment will be redefined as working 35 hours or less a week, instead of 30 hours or less.
Many companies told the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) that the 30-hours cap limited their ability to offer part-time work, said its executive director Koh Juan Kiat.
The change will give them fresh impetus to offer such work and attract more women back into the workforce, he said.
In proposing the changes, the ministry said it struck a balance between protecting workers' interests and ensuring Singapore's labour market stays flexible and competitive.
The SNEF and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) have already been consulted on the proposed changes, it said.
NTUC deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob told The Straits Times yesterday that the labour movement has been championing the cause of confidential staff for years, as some of them do not earn high pay.
It has also been asking for the salary ceilings to qualify for benefits to be raised, in line with median salaries here.
She said: "If the salary ceiling is not revised, more and more employees will be excluded from the ambit of the Act."
The Manpower Ministry is indeed revising the salary ceiling, raising it from $1,500 {SEE CORRECTION ABOVE} to $2,000 for workers who come within the Act's ambit.
More details of the proposed changes can be found on the Government feedback portal, www.reach.gov.sg. The public can submit feedback by e-mail to MOM_WPSD_EA@mom.gov.sg.
Public consultation ends on Sept 22.
The proposed amendments are due to be tabled in Parliament next month.
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