For the first time, the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) brought this year’s May Day celebration closer to migrant workers at multiple locations to reach out to and celebrate with a record number of some 10,500 migrant workers. Migrant workers from various industry sectors were treated to free movie screenings of Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters at five different locations and at various timings on 18 May to celebrate May Day.
The movie screenings were held at The Cathay Cineplex, SCAL Soon Lee Recreation Centre, and three Westlite Dormitories located in Tuas, Mandai and Toh Guan, with movie titles that included the recently-released The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla.
The dormitory operators were excited and glad to be part of the celebrations. “We are happy to work with MWC on this meaningful MWC May Day Celebration event in recognition of the labour, hard work and contribution by our migrant workers. MWC is putting in a praise-worthy effort to meet the challenges of looking after the welfare of our migrant workers,” said Simon Lee, Chief Operating Officer for SCAL Recreation Centre.
Members of the NTUC Central Committee, union leaders and representatives from unionised companies and the Singapore National Employers Federation also joined the migrant workers for the first movie screening at The Cathay Cineplex. Before the screening, Better Energy Bands were handed out to every migrant worker as part of the Labour Movement’s “Better Movement”.
By bringing the different partners together, the event aimed to recognise and show appreciation for the hard work and contributions of migrant workers in playing their part towards the continued growth and success of Singapore.
To mark its’ May Day celebrations, the MWC also reaffirmed its commitment to advocate for equitable employment practices to enhance protection and improve employment terms for migrant workers.
MWC’s Advocacies
The MWC will continue to push for mandatory payment of salary to all Work Permit holders through electronic means, such as GIRO, to professionalise employment practices as well as to address problems experienced by migrant workers in proving salary arrears; work with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to implement a model employment contract, where specific service agreements and key employment terms are clearly outlined and incorporated into the Work Passes regulations, to reduce the risk of exploitation of migrant workers by errant employers and agents; and to push for deserving migrant workers to be allowed to change employers without having to leave the country under appropriate conditions, so that migrant workers can continue to work while their disputes are being resolved.
Last but not least, MWC will continue to emphasise on 'quality over quantity' in the recruitment of migrant workers, and the importance of skills upgrading for migrant workers by advocating for skills certification to be made a requirement for renewing work permits.
In line with this year’s May Day Celebration theme “Better Workers, Better Jobs”, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Chairman of MWC, thanked all migrant workers for their contributions to our economy and urged employers to provide migrant workers with necessary skill upgrading to raise the quality of migrant workers here. “It benefits both our country and the companies alike, if our migrant workers are better skilled and more productive,” said Mr Yeo.
Since the opening of MWC in 2009, the centre has engaged over 400,000 migrant workers during their various events and activities, and assisted close to 10,000 migrant workers, helping them with issues from meals and lodging, to advice on workplace issues and representation through the statutory dispute resolution processes.
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