The NTUC Migrant Workers Forum's response to appalling living conditions at Goldstrong Foreign Worker Dormitory
5 April 2005
The News Editor
The New Paper
The NTUC Migrant Workers Forum (NTUC MWF) is gravely concerned with the appalling living conditions at the GoldStrong Dormitory as reported recently by The New Paper (TNP) in its article, “It’s a hell hole”, dated 2 April 2005. The article also highlighted that there were fire safety and hygiene-related irregularities at the dormitory as detected by the authorities.
2 The NTUC WMF is astonished that in Singapore, there are still employers who do not even provide proper and decent accommodations for their foreign workers who have left their hometowns to work here. These foreign workers are generally unfamiliar with their rights and vulnerable, and thus, are deserving of greater attention and protection against irresponsible employers who do not look after their welfare and health here.
3 The labour movement is insistent that employers have the duty and responsibility to treat their employees fairly and decently. Particularly, employers must be held accountable for ensuring that their foreign workers are provided with safe, hygienic and proper accommodations, as the basic conditions of employment. As a result of the labour movement’s advocacy, mandatory requirements have been put in place in June 2004 for employers in the construction sector to provide proper and approved housing for their workers. Thus, we urge the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to expand and apply the mandatory requirement, for proper and approved housing for foreign construction workers, to other sectors and industries.
4 The NTUC WMF is aware that the authorities are currently investigating the GoldStrong Dormitory case. We urge MOM and the relevant authorities to take a serious view of the matter and to take prompt action against unscrupulous employers if it were found that they had compromised on their workers’ health and safety.
5 We also call on employers to respect workers’ lives and rights regardless of their nationalities and to take a proactive approach in ensuring that their workers have a safe and healthy environment for work and rest.
Yeo Guat Kwang
Chairman
NTUC Migrant Workers Forum
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For media queries, please contact:
Goy Kae Lip
Corporate Communications Department
National Trades Union Congress
DID: 6213 8184
HP: 9792 0650
Email: goykl@ntuc.org.sg
Jeffery Tan
NTUC Migrant Workers Forum Secretariat
DID: 6213 8236
HP: 9880 0489
Email: tanjk@ntuc.org.sg
