The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) launched the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) today to assist domestic employees, both local and foreign, in addressing work-related challenges that they may face.
Why did NTUC set up CDE?
The setting up of CDE is an integral part and a continuum of the Labour Movement’s (LM) all-inclusive approach to help working people of all collars, ages and nationalities, ranging from the rank and file, to PMEs, freelancers, self-employed and migrant workers.
What will CDE do?
CDE will champion for the fair treatment of domestic employees in Singapore through a balanced and pragmatic approach in resolving issues and providing humanitarian aid, social integration and support. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Chairman for CDE, said, “CDE will take a proactive and upstream approach in providing assistance to domestic employees as we want to help them resolve their issues and challenges even before they begin to trouble them.”
How can CDE help?
In view of this, CDE will complement the efforts of other existing NGOs in reaching out and assisting these domestic employees. The centre, located at Goldhill Centre (185A Thomson Road), hopes to reach out to domestic employees and provide them with a venue and an avenue to seek assistance, advice and relief.
Services offered by CDE
To do so, CDE is conducting outreach efforts on the ground to approach our domestic employees at common congregation areas. A 24-hour toll free helpline, 1800 CALL CDE (1800 2255 233), is already available to provide round-the-clock assistance to domestic employees in need. In times of dire need, CDE will also provide humanitarian aid and emergency shelter for them.
1. The staff of CDE are also trained by Silver Ribbon on basic mental wellness to aid them in spotting domestic employees displaying signs of mental health distress. With early intervention, unnecessary employer-employee conflicts stemming from mental health distress can be minimised. Mental wellness talks will also be organised for domestic employees to enhance their emotional resilience. In addition, mediation and counselling services are also available to tackle possible issues before they exacerbate.
2. CDE is also partnering with The Law Society of Singapore to provide free legal clinics for domestic employees. In addition, CDE will promote healthy employer-employee working relationship and good employment practices through various workshops. Social functions will also be organised to promote social integration.
3. Leveraging the experience of the Migrant Workers’ Centre, the CDE will take an all-stakeholders approach in engaging all stakeholders, be it domestic employees, employers or agencies, on related issues.
Domestic Employees Stakeholders Forum
Prior to the centre’s official launch, CDE initiated the Domestic Employees Stakeholders Forum (DESF), an advisory panel to engage in dialogues and gather feedback regarding policies and issues concerning domestic employees. At DESF’s inaugural meeting on 7 January 2016, participating members included Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training, Aidha, the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore, Singapore Accredited Employment Agencies Association, and employers of foreign domestic employees.
In the long run, CDE believes that DESF, which will meet quarterly, will help to engage all stakeholders on issues concerning domestic employees and eventually, help build a better environment for domestic employees to work in and promote a healthier working relationship between employers and their domestic employees.
NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing, who launched the CDE as the Guest-of-Honour said, “The setting up of CDE reflects the Labour Movement’s continuous efforts to widen our reach to help different groups of workers. This is part of our longer-term effort towards becoming an all-inclusive Labour Movement. With the CDE, we also hope that more support can be rendered to our domestic employees so that they can work in a safe and healthy environment”.
Moving forward, CDE will be working with other like-minded partners to help domestic employees. Through a concerted effort to make available more avenues of assistance to them, CDE hopes to improve the overall domestic employee landscape in Singapore.
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- Click here for reactions of the launch from CDE Chairman Yeo Guat Kwang and Sec-Gen Chan Chun Sing
