Speech at Fourth Ministerial Consultation on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia
Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi
Good afternoon,
Mr Chairman,
Fellow Labour Ministers,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Role of Migrants
Labour Ministers before me has pointed out that in today's globalised world, we witness increasing flows of not just capital, ideas and goods across national borders, but also workers. The Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration, or IOM, also highlighted that there are an estimated 191 million people living outside their place of birth in 2005, up from 76 million in 1960. We were also told that the number of migrants is set to increase at an annual rate of about 2.9%.
2. Migrant workers, or as they have been referred to in this forum, temporary contractual labour, make important economic contributions to both their home and host countries. At the same time, they remit a significant proportion of their earnings back to their home countries. The International Labour Organisation estimates the size of such remittances to be about US$160 billion in 2005. However, there is also a complex web of intricate socio-political issues associated with migration. These issues, if not properly handled, could have serious social and economic consequences. From time to time, such issues may also strain bilateral relations between the labour-sending and labour-receiving countries. Given that migration is trans-boundary in nature, it is crucial for both the countries of origin and destination to take joint ownership of migration-related issues and put in place comprehensive polices to address them. Indeed, it will unfair and unproductive to expect that either party can implement unilateral solutions to address all these issues and ignore the special needs of labour sending and receiving countries.
3. Many problems that migrant workers face can only be alleviated through efforts of both home and host countries. These include issues related to training in skills and safety, weeding out unscrupulous agents in their home country who either exact exorbitant deposits or make false promises for jobs overseas and adequate legislative protection and enforcement to ensure the well-being of migrant workers in the host country.
4. With a population of 4.4 million, about 30% of our workforce consists of migrant workers. In 2006, Singapore's job market created around 180,000 jobs, out of which about half went to foreigners.
Singapore's Foreign Manpower Management Policies
5. Singapore is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare and well-being of all workers, local and foreign alike. For foreign workers specifically, the Ministry has developed a comprehensive range of legislative, administrative, and educational measures. Since 2003, we have also set up a dedicated division within my Ministry to focus on addressing issues related to their well-being and management. Allow me to share with you briefly our experiences.
6. All migrant workers in Singapore are accorded legislative protection. To mention one specifically, we have the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, which requires employers to look after the well-being of their foreign workers. These include providing their workers with proper housing, prompt payment of salaries and bearing the cost of their medical expenses. Employers who fail to comply with these requirements may face prosecution and can be punished with a fine of up to S$5,000 and a jail term of up to 6 months. These laws are strictly enforced. As an illustration, since 2004, my Ministry has successfully prosecuted 7 employers of foreign domestic workers for failing to pay the salaries due to them
7. My Ministry also requires all employers of foreign workers to purchase medical insurance for each of them, with coverage of at least S$5,000 for their inpatient care and day-surgery. This requirement ensures that the medical needs of migrant workers are taken care of, even if their employers face financial difficulties. In addition, employers are required to post a security bond to ensure that they bear the cost in returning foreign workers who have completed their employment stint to their host country.
8. Nonetheless, enforcement undertaken by the Government against errant employers and agents will have limited impact if workers are ignorant about their rights and do not know how to seek recourse. Singapore has therefore implemented a range of educational and promotional measures to ensure that migrant workers understand and are able to assert their rights while working in Singapore. For example, all new foreign construction and marine workers in Singapore are required to undergo a course on occupational safety and employment rights. Employers are similarly informed about their obligations towards their foreign workers. For foreign domestic workers, or FDWs, we have introduced further measures in view of their vulnerability. One example is the interviews that my Ministry conducts with randomly-selected FDWs who are working for the first time in Singapore. The interview takes place during their initial months of employment to ascertain if they are able to adjust to their new work environment in Singapore.
9. Collectively, these measures have helped to protect migrant workers and enhanced their well-being in Singapore.
10. It is our belief that more can be done through regular dialogues between the source and host countries. Both countries must do their part to ensure the well being of migrant workers. I am confident that the outcome of this meeting would be invaluable in helping both labour source and host countries alike to address the challenges brought about by migration.
Conclusion
11. Finally, on behalf of the Singapore delegation, let me convey my sincere appreciation to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for hosting this meeting, and for the warm hospitality that has been extended to us. It is my pleasure to be here for this important meeting. Thank you.