Migrant workers centre opens its doors at Rangoon Road
2 September 2009
Media Release
1 The Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), a bipartite effort of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), now has a new office to call its home.
2 From 2 September 2009, the MWC will occupy a 1,200 square foot unit at 62 Rangoon Road, comprising consultation areas, a mini-library, and a waiting area that can hold up to 20 people. The waiting area, equipped with sofas and a television, will also be a space for migrant workers to relax and browse educational materials or publications from their home country. It can also be converted into a temporary shelter for homeless migrant workers who cannot be housed in dormitories immediately. The Centre was operating out of temporary premises since its launch four months ago.
3 Since its inception, the MWC has touched the lives of over 350 migrant workers from countries such as China, India and Bangladesh. These workers have sought advice from the MWC, received food and housing assistance, or participated in activities which help them integrate more easily into the Singapore society.
4 One such recent activity was the "Lead the Way, Try Safety Today - Migrant Workers Day Out @ East Coast Park". On 23 August 2009, 100 migrant workers from NTUC-affiliated unions such as the Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union (BATU) and the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees' Union (SMEEU) came together to learn about traffic rules and the "do's and don'ts" of being a lorry passenger through fun activities organised by the Road Safety Community Park.
5 Going forward, the MWC plans to hold similar events to reach out to more foreign workers, including, educational programmes and recreational activities. as well as offering humanitarian assistance.
6 MWC has also tied up with NTUC LearningHub (LHub) to develop a basic conversational English enrichment course for migrant workers to help ensure that they are able to speak a common language with those they interact with on a daily basis. The MWC aims for at least 1,000 migrant workers to have participated in this initiative by March 2010. Please refer to Annex A for more details of the 'Basic Conversational English for Migrant Workers' enrichment classes.
7 Migrant workers from all sectors are welcome to enroll in the English classes. Support from LHub, the MWC and employers, has kept course fees affordable for foreign workers. Suitable candidates will only need to pay $30-$40, thanks to support from LHub, MWC and enlightened employers.
8 Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower, who officially opened the centre today said, “I am happy to witness the opening of the Migrant Workers Centre’s physical premises. This is an important milestone, signaling the commitment by both employers and unions in reaching out to migrant workers here. The physical premises will allow MWC to truly be a one-stop point for foreign workers to seek advice and assistance. MOM strongly supports the MWC as it complements MOM’s efforts to help workers resolve salary claims and take action against errant employers. The Centre has also resulted in the provision of assistance to foreign workers in need. This is a step in the right direction.”
9 Co-chairman of MWC, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, said, "The opening of the MWC at Rangoon Road will provide a physical centre which is easily accessible to foreign workers seeking help. One of MWC's key strengths is the ability to leverage on both the labour movement and SNEF's expertise and networks to ensure timely assistance to migrant workers. One result of this strength is the collaboration between the MWC, NTUC LearningHub and the Food and Drinks Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) to kick-start a basic conversational English course for migrant workers. This will help to ease the language barrier between foreigners and residents. Better communication reduces the chances of misunderstandings, and is part of the MWC’s long-term effort to help migrant workers and locals live harmoniously within the same society.”
10 "It is heartening to see how the tripartite partners came together to realise the vision to create better lives for the foreign workers in Singapore. NTUC LearningHub is glad to play a part in helping them integrate into our society through the basic English course, to build up their understanding and vocabulary of commonly used words in Singapore," said NTUC LearningHub CEO Mr Zee Yoong Kang.
11 FDAWU Executive Secretary and NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How welcomed the collaboration. He said, "As an inclusive labour movement, we care for all our members, both Singaporeans and foreigners. The more our foreigner members are able to speak and use English, the easier for them to communicate with Singaporeans of different races. We hope that will help strengthen harmony and understanding at the workplace."
12 In the coming months, MWC plans to organise more activities for migrant workers in Singapore. For example, there will be Monthly Lunch Sessions with migrant workers where MWC will partner local restaurants to provide free meals with the objective of engaging and understanding the current issues faced by migrant workers, as well as to render assistance to them where necessary.
13 MWC aims to reach out to as many migrant workers as possible who require assistance in Singapore. Migrant workers seeking help can call the hotline 6536 2692 or log on to www.mwc.org.sg for more information.
ANNEX A
The 'Basic Conversational English for Migrant Workers' enrichment class allows the learners to develop Basic English skills for everyday life. The course is designed for adults who want to improve or develop their English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
The courses available are Basic Conversational English Skills Level 1 and Basic Conversational English Skills Level 2.
At the end of Level 1, migrant workers with zero or little understanding of the English language should be able to use a range of everyday social expressions, communicate and express themselves with simple English, use vocabulary and grammar skills by guessing the meaning from context, understand and read multi-word verbs and understand how sentences are formed.
At the end of Level 2, migrant workers should be able to construct questions with yes-no responses, ask questions using appropriate sentence structures, use passive voice to provide information to others, and generally engage in a more advanced level of communication in English.
The course uses a broad range of delivery methods which include role play, pair work, small group and large group work, dialogues and listening exercises.
