LABOUR SUPPLIERS OF FOREIGN WORKERS (Deployment)

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether labour suppliers who have been permitted to bring in foreign workers for one job can be permitted to deploy them for another; (b) if deployment is not permitted, how many such breaches have his Ministry dealt with in the past three years; and (c) are there plans to step up enforcement actions against such breaches.

The Minister for Manpower (Dr Lee Boon Yang): Mr Speaker, Sir, work permits are issued to foreign workers to work for the employers stated in the application. Employers of work permit holders are not allowed to deploy their foreign workers to work for another employer.

Employers who breach this work permit condition will be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act. In the last 3 years, we have prosecuted about 730 employers or individuals who have illegally deployed or abetted in the illegal deployment of work permit holders. We take a serious view of such breaches of the work permit conditions and will continue to take enforcement actions against such employers.

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Minister what are the key reasons that these employers cited for redeploying these workers?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, if the Member is referring to those who were prosecuted for illegally deploying their work permit holders, the main motivation is to get around the work permit regulation. They have brought in workers supposedly for their own jobs and perhaps they have brought in more workers than they need. They have overstated their demand or after bringing in the foreign workers they find that they may not have jobs that last long enough to keep them fully employed. There may well also be a demand from the illegal employers of such redeployed workers who hope to get illegal workers without having to pay for the levy because they can get the original employer to palm off these workers to the establishment without having to pay the work permit levy for such foreign workers.

In fact, there are many reasons why people try to get around this provision but we will continue with our enforcement action against those who are trying to illegally deploy their work permit holders. We will also remind employers that they can employ a foreign worker if they have applied for a work permit for the foreigner. Just because a foreigner holds a work permit does not mean that he is entitled to work for anybody in Singapore. The work permit is specifically issued to a foreigner to work for a particular employer.

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang: Sir, I understand that these foreign workers had to incur a very high cost to come over here for employment. If our employers are not sure that they can get jobs that can last long enough to fulfil the two-year employment period, then something has to be done, to be fair to these workers who have come all the way from their home country to work here and contribute to our economy. I think the figure of 730 employers being prosecuted is quite a big number. Would the Ministry consider enhancing the penalty so that the employers would not abuse the system?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, the Work Permit Department has introduced criteria such as the value of work on hand, particularly for the construction sector, and also the duration of the available project. For instance, a contractor who applies for non-traditional source workers must have at least six months of contract work available before the application will be considered.

We will look into the current regulation to see how we can further tighten the procedure to prevent abuses and to minimise exploitation of the foreign workers. Enhancing the penalty is certainly one of the options that we will consider.