It may seem like a revolutionary concept to some, but maybe, just maybe, foreign domestic helpers should have a right to paid annual leaves for them to return to their home countries and see their families every once in a while.
Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng wants to set things right for the often maligned group in Singapore, and the first step he’s taking is to debate the issue in Parliament come Aug 1.
According to current guidelines instituted by the Ministry of Manpower, foreign domestic workers are entitled to a weekly rest day, among other common sense provisions such as employers bearing the costs of medical care, and offering their employees adequate food and safe work conditions. Paid annual home leaves, however, aren’t entitlements, though employers can get a levy waiver for the time their helpers are overseas.
Ng — who’s also the founder of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) — will be asking the Minister of Manpower if it’ll consider making it mandatory for employers to provide paid annual home leaves to foreign domestic workers. Good man.
“Are we ‘treating them the way we would want our loved ones to be treated?’” he asked on Facebook.
Welp, it seems like for some, the answer is a resolute “hell no”. Vehemently disagreeing with the MP over his kindly proposal, these folks are really not into the welfare of domestic workers — they’re even arguing that it’s the employers who should be entitled to more rights. Basically, they’re not helping tear down the image that Singapore’s where domestic helpers suffer cruel abuse.
