Speech at Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) Fifth Anniversary Celebration 2008
Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower, Pan Pacific Hotel
Good evening
Mr Aliyar Razzy, President, AEA(S),
Members of the AEA(S) Management Committee,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to join you this evening to celebrate the Association's fifth anniversary.
2. The Association has grown 4-fold from 130 members in 2002 to more than 600 members today. The significant growth in membership has presented the Association with a bigger opportunity to positively shape the industry norms by raising standards of service and professionalism. How effectively the Association would make use of this opportunity will define its contribution as an industry body for FDW-placing Employment Agencies (EAs).
Retention Rate of Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs)
3. One of the key areas that the Association could focus on would be the effectiveness of EAs in placing FDWs with employers. One objective measure is the percentage of FDWs who were placed by an EA and had stayed with the same employer for at least one year. The Ministry has taken the first step to make available the information on the MOM website, so that employers know the performance of individual EA. Currently, 53% of EAs have a retention rate of at least 50%. There is room for improvement. The Association should take the lead in mobilising the industry to work towards raising the success rate.
AEA(S) as an Accreditation Body
4. Another area is the Association's role as an accreditation body. The Association has used the accreditation scheme to introduce standard employment contracts between the employer and FDW, as well as standard service agreements between the employer and EA. These are important steps to increase transparency of contractual terms for employers and workers. Their adoption has also helped prevent misunderstandings and minimise disputes.
5. Since 2004, the Association has accredited more than 400 FDW-placing EAs. Almost 90% of re-audited EAs were found to have met the requirements. However, the Association has revoked the accreditation status of those that did not meet the audit standards. In so doing, the Association has demonstrated that it will not tolerate EAs with low service and professional standards.
6. Going forward, the Association should continue to build on the accreditation scheme. The litmus test for the scheme will be whether or not consumers value the accreditation status and associate accredited EAs with service quality and professionalism.
Improvement to FDW Management and Well-being
7. My Ministry has implemented various measures over the last two to three years to improve the management and well-being of the 170,000 FDWs working in Singapore. These include the safety awareness course, random interviews of first-time FDWs, 6-monthly newsletters for FDWs, as well as orientation course and educational materials for FDW employers. Entry requirements for first-time FDWs were also raised in 2005, and additional channels put in place for FDWs to seek advice or report employment issues.
8. These measures have contributed to a better managed FDW workforce. As an indicator, the number of FDW deaths in Singapore has fallen by about a third, from an annual average of 35 over the past six years to 25 in 2007. The Association and its members have been supportive of MOM's initiatives. I urge the EAs to continue to work in partnership with MOM to educate employers and workers on the importance of working safely in homes.
Recognising Outstanding FDWs and Employers
9. Tonight, we celebrate outstanding FDWs and employers. The FDW winners have demonstrated the virtues of hard work, honesty and loyalty. They have rendered excellent service and commitment to their employers. One of the award winners, Ms Nazurka Magsino Herba or Nancy has for almost 17 years displayed great love and devotion to the family of her employer. When the health of her employer's mother took a turn for the worse, Nancy sacrificed her days off and home leave and endured interrupted sleep in order to nurse her. Her employer's mother survived her illness and both are deeply appreciative of Nancy's sacrifices.
10. We also recognise three FDW employers who have shown understanding and kindness towards their employees. They have encouraged the learning and training of their FDWs and provided them with emotional and financial support. These stories are testimony that employers and FDWs can build good working relationships through mutual understanding.
Conclusion
11. On that note, I would like to thank the Association for their initiative in organising these awards and I wish all of you, a pleasant and enjoyable evening. Thank you.