FOREIGN WORKERS (Living conditions)

Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Manpower what steps are being taken to monitor the living conditions of foreign workers and what are the penalties for inhumane treatment of foreign workers.

The Minister for Manpower (Dr Lee Boon Yang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have much to crow about as far as foreign workers are concerned. But when applying for foreign workers, all employers have to undertake to provide adequate accommodation for their foreign workers. In the case of foreign domestic workers, they live in the homes of the employers. Although there are no specified standards for the accommodation of foreign domestic workers, my Ministry has issued guidelines to employers to ensure that foreign domestic workers' need for privacy should be respected. Employers have also been reminded not to make their foreign domestic workers sleep on beds in the corridors or in the living rooms or in the kitchens with little privacy. Foreign domestic workers should not be asked to share a room with an adult of the opposite sex.

The living conditions of foreign workers in the economic sectors vary from industry to industry. In the manufacturing and marine sectors, foreign workers are generally provided with reasonable and acceptable accommodation. In many cases, foreign workers are housed in purpose-built dormitories, whose living conditions are comparable to that enjoyed by the average Singaporean. Shipyards, for example, provide very good accommodation to their foreign workers such as the Acadia Lodge by Keppel Shipyard. Sembawang Shipyard also provides good quality accommodation in company-built dormitories. Other foreign workers in the manufacturing sector are housed in commercially run dormitories built by the Jurong Town Corporation.

In the construction sector, the majority of the foreign workers, ie, 80%, are housed on-site. Contractors who provide on-site housing have to meet basic standards set by various Government agencies, such as the URA, BCA, the Ministry of the Environment and the Fire Safety Bureau. The remaining 20% of foreign construction workers are housed off-site. Some are accommodated in purpose-built dormitories, such as the Kaki Bukit Hostel which provides not only good quality housing, but also social recreational amenities to the 3,000 residents. Other foreign workers are housed in pre-war shophouses, old buildings or in private residential estates. This is where the problem lies. Some unscrupulous employers may force their foreign workers to live in cramped, and sometimes, unsafe living conditions. Those responsible will be taken to task for violating the guidelines on accommodation set by the Work Permit Department and various Government agencies. The URA, for example, ensures that there is no misuse of private and residential buildings.

On the inhumane treatment of foreign workers, the Government takes a very serious view of employers who mistreat or abuse their foreign workers. The Penal Code, for example, was amended in May 1998 to enhance penalties for employers who physically abuse their foreign domestic workers. Errant employers will not only be taken to court for their actions, they will also be debarred from employing foreign domestic workers.

Foreign workers in the economic sectors are protected under the Employment Act which spells out the basic terms and conditions of employment. Employers who fail to provide basic statutory benefits and who do not comply with the provisions of the Act will be dealt with under the law. In addition, these employers may be barred from employing foreign workers.

Employers are reminded to treat their foreign workers decently and not to subject them to any inhumane actions, whether in the homes or other workplaces. Those who do so will have to face the consequences of the law.

Mr Gerard Ee: I would like to ask the Minister whether designated sites to house foreign workers in the economic sectors, like the construction industry, are subject to licensing and how often are they inspected on-the-spot basis?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: When a contractor wants to build dormitories to house foreign workers, they have to apply for the land and the land would be made available, subject to various conditions from the Land Office. Obviously, the contractor or developer who puts up the dormitory housing will have to comply with the various building control regulations and this will obviously also be inspected from time to time.