Migrant Workers' Centre to help more migrant workers through setting up of:
The Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC), a bipartite initiative of the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, unveiled new plans today for an early-alert system in employer-worker disputes (better understand trends) and make help more accessible to all migrant workers.
Errant practices put in the hot seat with 24-hour MWC Helpline
Aimed at giving workers accessible and round-the-clock assistance, the 24-hour MWC Helpline will serve migrant workers in their major native languages (English, Mandarin and Tamil) on anumber of issues ranging from enquiries, to reporting issues and errant practices for MWC's intervention, and urgent emergency humanitarian assistance. Supplemented by the MWC Work-Permit Sleeve Initiative, where card sleeves bearing the MWC Helpline would be distributed to all workers upon entry into Singapore within a year, MWC hopes to give all Work-Permit holders the assurance of round-the-clock help.
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Chairman of MWC said during a visit to Soon Lee Lodge today: 'Giving migrant workers accessibility to a proper and responsive help channel under MWC gives them assurance that their worries can be addressed by experienced and knowledgeable support. This in itself is a source of comfort and security to them. The increasing numbers of migrant workers coming to MWC for help further cemented the need for such a service. MWC is very happy that with our expansion plans, we will be able to offer this service by the first quarter of 2014 to distressed workers.'
MWC Dormitory Buddies Network gives voice to migrant workers with work-related issues
To better identify and respond to workplace disputes, MWC also announced the setting up of the MWC Dormitory Buddies Network ' a network of residents in the dormitories as an early-alert system for more extreme or contentious dispute cases. The volunteer residents comprise workers of various nationalities who have more experience working in Singapore and are better known amongst their countrymen living at the dormitory. Acting as a voice for their fellow residents on work-related issues, the residents committee will have direct access to MWC should urgent issues arise and also be regularly engaged by MWC staff for dialogues and discussions throughout the year.
The network also provides workplace advisory services and facilitates engagement and awareness building activities among residents of the dormitories. The network will also allow MWC to detect early signs of disputes so that it can intervene at an early stage in order to reach a fair and equitable resolution for aggrieved migrant workers. Through proactive and regular engagement of workers within their dormitories, MWC hopes to be able to resolve smaller issues and prepare itself to meet larger-scaled cases if necessary.
Mr Yeo said, 'MWC is very encouraged by the strong support from Soon Lee Lodge, our first partner of the MWC Dormitory Buddies Network programme. MWC will continue to visit all major migrant worker housing facilities until the programme is rolled out in every dormitory. MWC will leverage the early success of this programme and hope to have similar networks in all of the 38 purpose-built, large dormitories within a year's time. The MWC will assign an account manager to each dormitory so that they can hold regular engagement and dialogues with each network through the year.'
Mr Yeo added, 'MWC's goal is to ensure that every migrant worker is familiar with MWC, our work and our services. More importantly, migrant workers must understand that there is a proper channel like MWC to help them resolve their disputes so that they will not take matters into their own hands without the proper knowledge and understanding of Singapore's employment laws, culture and regulation, which would land them, as aggrieved parties, in more unfortunate situations. This is not what we want to see. The better we are able to identify hot-spots earlier, the better it is for everyone, especially the worker.'
At the Vobis Enterprise Pte Ltd dormitory, Mr Yeo distributed the MWC Work-Permit Sleeves to 250 dormitory residents before introducing the first MWC Dormitory Buddies. The pilot MWC Dormitory Buddies Network at Soon Lee Lodge comprises 10 residents. In line with the major nationalities living at the dormitory, this network is made up of Bangladeshi, Myanmese and Indian workers (representing various Indian dialect groups that make up the dormitory's residents).
Mr Tow, General Manager of Vobis Enterprise Pte Ltd said: 'Over the years we have worked very closely with MWC to help our residents with social integration and awareness of their employment rights. We know how hard MWC is trying to help migrant workers in Singapore and Vobis Enterprise Pte Ltd share their concerns. We are therefore very happy to work with MWC when they approached us about the MWC Dormitory Buddies programme. Migrant workers make a key contribution to our nation and as a gracious society, we should recognise this and do what we can to help them in times of need.'
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