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9 in 10 foreign workers satisfied?

Published

10 years ago

on

foreign-workers
By Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME)
For its International Migrants’ Day celebrations this year, the Ministry of Manpower and Migrant Workers’ Centre released the results of a wide scale quantitative study involving 4000 migrant workers.  The major findings of this report are as follows:

  1. 9 in 10 FWs (87.7% of WP holders and 90.7% of S Pass holders) were satisfied with working in Singapore.
  2. 85.7% of WP holders and 93.4% of S Pass holders would recommend Singapore as a place to work. Good pay, good working and living conditions, and sense of security were some commonly cited reasons.
  3. More than 7 in 10 FWs (76.9% of WP holders and 71.4% of S Pass holders) planned to continue working with their current employers after their contracts have expired.

This is not a new study; in 2011, a similar survey was conducted which produced similar findings. As was the case with the 2011 study this current study has several methodological limitations which have affected its validity, reliability and objectivity, thus compromising the value of the results. The lack of key information was a major impediment in assessing the accuracy of the data provided in the report. For instance, how ‘satisfaction’, ‘good prospects’ and ‘sense of security’  are defined by the researchers, is not indicated in the study. It is also unclear what ‘good pay’ means. Without defining these terms and relating them to other factors (e.g. working conditions), it becomes meaningless as a research concept.
Demographic details of the sample such as gender, job sector, types of accommodation, length of stay, and nationality are not provided, even though this is basic data found in any published research. Without relating crucial demographic information of the respondents to the findings, the conclusions drawn are weak, erroneous and at best, superficial.  This missing data is crucial for accurate interpretation of the data collected. There was no information on how the interviewers recruited the respondents, nor was there a report on how statistical methods were used.
The report also claimed that the results are based on a random sample of the workers, when in actual fact, it was a convenience sample. This error creates substantial bias in the interpretation of the results. The questionnaire used in the study was also not published.
Crucial data on actual salary, debts owed, and placement fees which directly impacts the employment conditions of the workers are not captured even though low wages and high placement fees are the two biggest reasons workers cite for not recommending Singapore as a place to work. The different employment conditions across sectors such as cleaning, shipyard and construction work are also not factored into the findings.
It was also reported that 80.2% of work permit holders would choose to renew the contracts with their current employers, and this was an indication that they were happy with their employers and their employment situation. However, the reasons for renewing the contract were not revealed in the report. Workers may choose to extend their employment in Singapore with the same employer because work permit terms and conditions do not allow them to switch employers. Underlying conditions such as low wages, high placement fees and the additional cost of returning to their countries of origin and back to Singapore for work again often influence many migrant workers to choose to work beyond 1 contractual term. Even though 77.4% of work permit holders reported having a copy of their contract, it is not clear if the written contact is in the FW’s native language.
Conducting studies on any group of people requires content knowledge of the target population to identify relevant research questions, and the operationalization of key concepts; it should also allow for critical discussion of the findings, based on empirical evidence that is reliable. While we encourage the interest MOM has shown in learning more about the socio-economic situation of migrant workers, the study it commissioned could have been more rigorous as it did not fulfill basic social scientific and publishing standards; this should have been achievable, given the amount of resources it has compared to independent think tanks and NGOs.
This article was first posted on HOME’s blog.

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Civil Society

Thailand withdraws reservation on refugee children’s rights, welcomed by UN Human Rights Office

Thailand’s withdrawal of its reservation on Article 22 of the CRC is hailed by the UN, marking a key step in enhancing protections for refugee and asylum-seeking children.

Published

1 week ago

on

6 September 2024

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The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia (OHCHR) has praised Thailand for its decision to withdraw its reservation on Article 22 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a move expected to improve the protection of refugee and asylum-seeking children in the country.

Cynthia Veliko, the OHCHR Representative for South-East Asia, hailed the decision, calling it “a significant, positive step” toward aligning Thailand’s laws with international standards. “This move helps protect the rights of all children on the move, no matter their nationality or origin,” Veliko said.

The Thai Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the reservation took effect on 30 August 2024. Article 22 of the CRC ensures that refugee and asylum-seeking children receive protection, humanitarian assistance, and equal access to services provided to national children, in line with international human rights laws to which Thailand is a party.

This withdrawal is also expected to strengthen the implementation of Thailand’s National Screening Mechanism (NSM), introduced on 22 September 2023.

The NSM grants the status of “protected person” to individuals who cannot return to their home countries due to the fear of persecution. However, despite these legal advancements, children without legal status in Thailand remain at risk of being detained in immigration facilities.

The UN has raised concerns over the continued detention of children despite the Thai government’s 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Alternatives to the Detention of Children (MOU-ATD). The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has reaffirmed that every child has a fundamental right to liberty and should not be detained based on their migration status.

Veliko urged Thailand to focus on ending child immigration detention and adopting human rights-based alternatives.

“Children on the move are children first and foremost,” Veliko stressed, adding that detention due to migration status is never in the best interests of children.

The UN Human Rights Office expressed its readiness to assist the Thai government in developing alternatives to detention, ensuring that all children receive the protection and care they need.

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Civil Society

FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar junta’s forced conscription expansion, urges international action

FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar’s military junta for expanding forced conscription, calling it a desperate bid to maintain power. The policy, affecting men aged 35 to 60, adds to a long list of human rights violations, including forced labor and the use of civilians as human shields.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

4 September 2024

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The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) has condemned the Myanmar military junta’s recent decision to expand the age limit of its forced conscription policy, calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

The move is seen as a desperate attempt by the junta to maintain control in the face of a growing pro-democracy resistance movement.

On 25 August 2024, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing announced the introduction of a new “security system with public participation.”

This system would require men aged 35 to 60 to serve as guards, potentially placing them on the frontlines of conflict. The announcement follows the formation of the Central Supervisory Committee for People’s Security and Anti-Terrorism on 16 August, tasked with organizing military training and overseeing “people’s security and anti-terrorism” groups at various administrative levels.

The junta’s plan builds upon the forced conscription policy it implemented on 10 February 2024, invoking the 2010 People’s Military Service Law.

The law mandates men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve two years in the military, with professionals like doctors and engineers potentially serving up to five years. Those who evade service or assist others in doing so face up to five years in prison. As part of this policy, the junta planned to conscript 5,000 individuals monthly from April 2024.

Civilians as Human Shields and Forced Labor

FORUM-ASIA has condemned the junta’s forced conscription policies, highlighting the military’s history of using civilians as human shields and forcing them into hard labor.

The International Labour Organization’s Commission of Inquiry found in October 2023 that the military continues to impose forced labor amidst the ongoing armed conflict, a practice that has escalated since the 2021 coup attempt.

Local news and human rights groups have reported that the junta is also abducting and arresting citizens to use as human shields, further contributing to the human rights violations in Myanmar. Many youths, rather than being conscripted into fighting for a regime they oppose, have fled their homes to join the resistance.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over the junta’s detention and recruitment of Myanmar youth. Meanwhile, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, noted the junta’s increasing use of powerful weapons against civilians as troop losses and recruitment challenges mount.

Call for Action

FORUM-ASIA is calling on the Myanmar military junta to immediately halt its forced conscription, abductions, forced labor, and the use of civilians as human shields.

“FORUM-ASIA urges the international community, including the UN and ASEAN, to thoroughly investigate the Myanmar military junta’s long list of human rights violations. The junta should be held accountable for all its crimes through sanctions and other punitive measures,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.

“The international community must urgently isolate the junta and support the people of Myanmar in their struggle for justice and freedom,” Bacalso added.

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