• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Review cleaning accreditation scheme to include migrant cleaners

by onlinecitizen
06/09/2014
in Letters
Reading Time: 3 mins read
3

By Jolovan Wham, Executive Director, Humanitarian organisation for Migration Economics (HOME)
While the cleaning accreditation scheme’s S$1,000 basic salary requirement will increase the incomes of Singaporean cleaners, the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) is concerned that migrant workers have been left out. (“52,000 cleaners set for better training, pay as licensing scheme takes hold”; Sept 2)
Local cleaners are not the only ones who need an income boost. In our experience, many of the migrant Chinese, Malaysians and Bangladeshis working in this sector earn below the basic salary mandated under the accreditation scheme.
Bangladeshi workers contracted by town councils to clean public housing estates are among the worst paid of the lot, with salaries as low as S$2 per hour. Many of them work more than 12 hours a day without days off.
Our interviews with migrant workers in the sector also show that they are expected to work longer hours and more days than local employees.
This latest wage floor is thus going to incentivise the hiring of foreign workers at minimum cost, and not address the fact that cleaners in general are paid inadequately.
Singapore prides itself on meritocracy and equal opportunity for all, so to exclude migrant workers from this scheme is inconsistent with these values.
Both migrant and local workers are performing the same services for the nation.
In the wake of the Little India riot, there has been a lot of discussion about integrating migrant workers. But integration is not only about policing undesirable behaviour and addressing social ills.
It requires us to treat those who are marginalised as equals and implement anti-discrimination measures.
Ensuring that migrant workers are paid equally to locals is one of many things we can do, and the Government, the labour movement and employers should review the accreditation scheme so that it is truly inclusive.
This letter was first published on Today’s Voices section.


Editor’s footnote (Terry) – While some may argue that foreigners should not be entitled to more pay than locals and they should be contented at getting a higher pay than what they could have earned in their home country. But apart from the point of equality which Jolovan has pointed out, foreign workers working the same work load if not more than locals. People need to realise that it is the pay difference between the foreign workers and local workers in most cases that is stagnating the pay of professions as well as the discrimination against locals when it comes to employability. Be it engineers, production workers or service providers like cleaners.
In some cases, its the lack of protection for the foreign workers which might encourage employers to employ foreign workers in favor of locals. Example is the case of the foreign cleaners from Bangladesh at Pasir Ris GRC being paid $700 per month, 7 days a week, over 10 hours a day without overtime pay and asked to pay $10,800 in agent fees. (read more)
Should the pay between foreign workers and local workers be equalised, employers would probably not lean excessively towards that one particular group when it comes to job opportunities. Apart from the emotional distress knowing that foreigners are earning the same as locals, what else is there to oppose paying the foreign workers the same?

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am
Singapore

LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

07/02/2023
Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah
Parliament

Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

06/02/2023
19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake
China

19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

06/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?
AFP

Adani shares dive again as Indian opposition stages demos

06/02/2023
Josephine Teo defends SPH Media Trust in Parliament on its circulation scandal; Commitment of S$900 million funding will still be made available
Singapore

Josephine Teo defends SPH Media Trust in Parliament on its circulation scandal; Commitment of S$900 million funding will still be made available

06/02/2023
Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins
Japan

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

06/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
3 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

07/02/2023
Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

06/02/2023
19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

06/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

Adani shares dive again as Indian opposition stages demos

06/02/2023
Josephine Teo defends SPH Media Trust in Parliament on its circulation scandal; Commitment of S$900 million funding will still be made available

Josephine Teo defends SPH Media Trust in Parliament on its circulation scandal; Commitment of S$900 million funding will still be made available

06/02/2023
Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

06/02/2023
FY2023 Budget Statement to be delivered by Lawrence Wong on 14 Feb, 3.30pm

FY2023 Budget Statement to be delivered by Lawrence Wong on 14 Feb, 3.30pm

06/02/2023

Scholar, lawmakers and journalist among Hong Kongers on trial

06/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
94

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
11

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
40

...

September 2014
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« Aug   Oct »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz