US embassy cable - 05SINGAPORE744

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 000744 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, KWMN, ELAB, SMIG, ASEC, KFRD, PREF, SN 
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE'S SUBMISSION FOR THE FIFTH ANNUAL TIP 
REPORT PART IV: BEST PRACTICES 
 
REF: A. SINGAPORE 743 
 
     B. SINGAPORE 742 
     C. SINGAPORE 740 
     D. SINGAPORE 657 
     E. 04 STATE 273089 
 
1.  This is the fourth of four messages relaying Embassy 
Singapore,s 2005 TIP submission.  It covers Embassy's 
nomination of Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, Foreign 
Manpower Management Division for Best Practices in combating 
trafficking in persons. 
 
2. The two populations most vulnerable to trafficking in 
Singapore are foreign sex workers and the large number of 
foreign domestic workers (FDWs) -- estimated at around 
150,000 -- employed here.  Although only a few cases have 
risen to the level of trafficking, maid abuse is a problem in 
Singapore; since 1998 the government has taken a number of 
significant steps to ensure the welfare of FDWs, which it 
recognizes are uniquely vulnerable to abuse.  Stronger 
regulations, higher penalties, and highly publicized 
prosecutions have reduced substantiated abuse cases by nearly 
75 percent compared to 1997, according to statistics provided 
by the MFA.  The government continues to reform its regime 
for regulating and protecting domestic workers, and in August 
2003 consolidated the management of the issue into one 
government office dedicated to foreign workers.  For the 2005 
TIP report, Embassy nominates the Ministry of Manpower,s 
Foreign Manpower Management Division for recognition as a 
best practice in supervising and protecting a large foreign 
worker population. 
 
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The Foreign Manpower Management Division 
---------------------------------------- 
 
3. In August 2003, the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) 
created the Foreign Manpower Management Division (FMMD).  The 
FMMD comprises a staff of over 100 people and is dedicated to 
protecting the safety of the approximately 800,000 foreign 
workers in Singapore, maintaining professionalism among 
employment agencies, and improving enforcement measures. 
During 2004, the FMMD,s education programs, investigative 
resources, mediation services, accreditation programs, public 
outreach campaigns and network of partnerships both within 
the government and with local NGOs, unions and civic groups 
made it a model for effective management of a large foreign 
worker population.  This new organization has already begun 
to substantially improve conditions for foreign workers 
(particularly those working as domestic servants), the group 
most vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and, potentially, 
trafficking. 
 
Regulation 
---------- 
 
4. The FMMD, in coordination with other parts of the Ministry 
of Manpower such as the Occupational Safety and Health 
Division and the Foreign Manpower Employment Division, 
formulates the regulations and policies that protect foreign 
workers in Singapore.  The FMMD constantly monitors the 
welfare of foreign workers, and routinely reviews its 
existing regulations ) in consultation with local NGOs -- to 
ensure that they are adequate.  The FMMD periodically 
announces new measures in response to changing needs of the 
migrant worker population.  Effective June 2004, it has made 
accreditation by one of two MOM-sanctioned ratings schemes 
mandatory for employment agencies and now is working with the 
two accrediting organizations to create a set of national 
standards for employment agencies.  It also has raised the 
minimum age for foreign domestic workers (FDWs) from 18 to 
23, and imposed an education requirement of 8 years of formal 
schooling (enforced through a literacy test) to attract 
workers who are better able to adjust to Singapore's modern, 
urban environment and deal with employers.  The FMMD mandates 
training classes for all new employers of domestic workers 
and the maids themselves.  It is also working to ensure all 
foreign workers have an employment contract. 
 
Education 
--------- 
 
5. New employers of foreign domestic workers are required to 
take a class on their responsibilities towards their 
employees in terms of access to their travel documents and 
work permits, requirements for living and working conditions 
and prompt payment for services.  The course highlights the 
consequences of failure to meet their responsibilities or 
otherwise ill-treat their employees.  It also encourages 
cultural sensitivity and realistic expectations for their 
employee,s performance.  The FDDW may require employers who 
come to its attention as potentially problematic to retake 
the course.  For new employees, the FMMD runs a one-day class 
on basic safety measures as well as their rights, 
responsibilities, and resources for assistance.  It also 
provides new maids with a handbook containing this 
information in their native language. 
 
Investigation and Enforcement 
----------------------------- 
 
6. The FMMD has an Employment Inspection Department that 
polices illegal employment, illegal deployment, and other 
violations of foreign manpower regulations (through measures 
such as mobile teams that conduct spot checks on employers) 
in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies as well as 
the business community.  The FMMD also has service desks, a 
hotline for foreign domestic workers, and a website 
(www.mom.gov.sg) that provides instructions on how to report 
suspected violations to the Department of Well-Being 
Management confidentially.  The FMMD adopts a case management 
approach to complaints.  When necessary, the FMMD in 
conjunction with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth 
and Sports will place a foreign worker in a shelter during 
the investigation of their complaint, and has a temporary job 
placement scheme.  The FMMD provides mediation services for 
any dispute, and reports that over 90 percent of complaints 
are resolved through this mechanism.  The FMMD coordinates 
with law enforcement when necessary.  Employers guilty of 
abuse or who repeatedly have problems with their domestic 
workers are barred from employing FDWs. 
 
Public Outreach 
--------------- 
 
7. The FMMD works closely with the media to ensure that its 
services, such as the hotline for domestic workers, are 
widely publicized.  It works through the media to publicize 
new and existing regulations and the consequences of breaking 
the law.  It has undertaken media campaigns to highlight the 
working conditions of domestic workers and their 
contributions to society here, including examples of positive 
and negative work environments, and organizes events such as 
the &maid of the year8 and &employer of the year8 awards. 
 Incidents of maid abuse are widely publicized, with even 
relatively minor infractions of the foreign worker 
regulations being reported in order to raise awareness of the 
consequences for employers. 
 
Partnerships 
------------ 
 
8. The FMMD works closely with its community partners, which 
include NGOs dedicated to the protection of migrant workers, 
the Association of Employment Agencies, the National Trade 
Unions Congress, and foreign embassies.  It discusses foreign 
worker issues with its partners to get all views on problems 
and potential regulatory changes.  NGOs report that they have 
good access to FMMD staff, which listens to and acts upon 
their views and suggestions.  The FMMD also organizes events 
and competitions to recognize the contributions of foreign 
workers, and has joined with partners on specific projects to 
promote the welfare of foreign workers, e.g., the Bayanihan 
Centre, which provides skills training and recreational 
activities for Filipina FDWs.  NGOs and other groups who work 
with the FMMD say they are happy with the support and 
cooperation they receive from it, and Bridget Lew of the 
Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics says that 
the new regulations and the FMMD have contributed to an 
&awakening in Singapore society8 about the rights of 
foreign workers here, and have had a significant positive 
impact on their welfare. 
 
 
LAVIN