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In line with its objective to provide better humanitarian aid to distressed domestic employees, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) launched the Domestic Employees Welfare Fund (DEWF), the Centre for Domestic Employees’ (CDE) humanitarian charity, at the DEWF Charity Golf and Dinner today.
At this fundraising event, Guest-of-Honour Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Manpower; Mr Bennett Neo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, DEWF; and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Chairman of CDE, officiated the start of DEWF’s fundraising efforts to garner $200,000 by the end of 2017. Today’s event marked DEWF’s inaugural large-scale fundraising effort and it was well attended by about 150 partners and donors.
Together with the DEWF, CDE would be able to enhance its efforts in rendering help, especially in the areas of providing ex-gratia payments, subsistence allowances and even repatriation costs, to both local and foreign distressed domestic employees. The fund will also complement CDE’s other initiatives like its advisory and mediation services, free legal clinics and weekly outreach sessions that aim to raise awareness on matters of concern to domestic employees.
The DEWF attained the Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status in March 2017. The fund, which will be administered by CDE, will also have an appointed Board of Trustees (BOT), consisting four members – Mr Bennett Neo, Chairman; and members, Mr Chew Sutat, Mr Kenneth Chia and Mr Tan Chai Kun.
Mr Bennett Neo, Chairman of DEWF’s Board of Trustees said, “Since the inception of the fund, the DEWF’s Board of Trustees have been working closely with CDE to render financial aid to in-need local and foreign domestic employees. We hope that the fund can be used to build a more comprehensive support system for this group of workers, particularly those who are foreigners, as they are relatively in need of more assistance. With strong support from our partners and donors, I believe DEWF will be able do its part to improve Singapore’s domestic employees landscape.”
Mr Shamsul Kamar, Executive Director of CDE added, “Our local and foreign domestic employees both deserve the right to a safe and healthy working environment. Through DEWF’s fundraising efforts, we hope to not only raise funds, but more importantly, raise awareness about matters concerning our domestic employees so that they can enjoy a healthier working relationship with their employers. By strengthening the employer-employee relationship, many conflicts can be tackled upstream and resolved amicably, thereby creating more win-win outcomes for both employer and domestic employees.”
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