Singapore’s decision to grant foreign maids a weekly day off was welcomed yesterday by social workers and rights groups, but some employers grumbled and critics said the move falls short of international labor standards.
While Singapore is proud of its squeaky-clean image and widely admired for its economic development, it has been regularly criticized for its treatment of foreign workers.
Announcing the change, Singaporean Minister of State for Manpower Tan Chuan Jin (陳川仁) said on Monday the mandatory weekly rest day would apply to maids whose work permits are issued or renewed from Jan. 1 next year.
Employers who need the services of their maids on their rest day must compensate them.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) described the rest day as an “important reform,” but the New York-based watchdog said the move, which came after years of lobbying by welfare groups, still falls short of international standards as it will take effect only next year and does not offer other forms of labor protection. More than 200,000 women from in Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India work as maids in Singapore. Some do not get a single day off during their first two-year contract.
A study carried out by Singapore migrant welfare groups and funded by the International Labour Organization showed that maids in the city-state work an average of 14 hours a day, while only 12 percent have at least one day off a week.
Foreign maids typically earn S$300 to S$450 (US$238 to US$357) a month and the employer has to pay the government a monthly levy of S$265 per maid.
“Many women in such situations find it difficult to cope with the social isolation and demands of the job,” said social worker Bridget Tan, founder of the private group Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics.
“As a result, many of them suffer from anxiety, depression and loneliness,” she said.
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