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Your Maid Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:02 am
by verykiasu2010
Weekly day off policy for maids must be flexible, say stakeholders
05:53 PM Oct 29, 2011

SINGAPORE - Advocacy groups have welcomed the Manpower Ministry's move to study a mandatory weekly day off for maids. But along with employers and maid agencies, they said the policy needs to build in a large degree of flexibility.

Responding to Channel NewsAsia, the ministry said consultation with stakeholders has been on since late last year, and results will be announced in due course. A ministry spokesperson said discussions have included employers, maids, maid agencies and non-governmental organisations.

For the policy to work, one proposal is for the law to protect maids against dismissal and repatriation, when they report an errant employer.

Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics, said: "One of the challenges of facilitating the process of lodging complaints, is that many migrant workers are often afraid of losing their jobs, and that is what keeps them from going to the Ministry of Manpower to complain and to lodge their claims."

Mr Wham added: "The migrant domestic worker should have the right and the opportunity to change her mind, and say that, 'For this particular weekend, I have stuff to do, I would like to have a day off. But maybe next weekend, I consent to working for you on a Sunday.'"

A ministry spokesman told Channel NewsAsia there are "comprehensive" measures to protect a maid under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. He added that "as a safeguard against employers who attempt to repatriate their foreign domestic workers unfairly, those who are forcefully brought to the airport can seek assistance from Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers, who will redirect them to the ministry to pursue their claims."

Mr John Gee, President of Transient Workers Count Too, said the right of the employer to unilaterally send a maid back to her home country should be done away. Instead, he should be required to explain his decision to the Manpower Ministry, and the maid should also be allowed to explain her story. Mr Gee told Channel NewsAsia he had raised the issue to the ministry in the past, but was told it was a "problem of staffing".

Maid agencies said the improvement in working conditions could help ease the supply crunch, but working out compensation that is fair to the maid and acceptable to employers, will be tricky.

The standard contract between an employer and a maid currently recommends at least one day off a month, with compensation in-lieu. The going rate is about S$20 for each day off, and some maid agencies have said that if the new law kicks in requiring at least four days off a month, the resulting increase in expense might turn some employers away.

That is because employers often give the minimal one day off each month.

Mr Riza Malawad, operations manager with 9Y2 Employment Services, said: "It's a little bit too high, to employ a domestic helper and compensate four days off. S$20 times four is S$80, and the current salary is S$400. S$480 can be a little hefty for some families."

Mr Peter Loh, Managing Director of Swift Arrow, said so long as employers have the option to pay more instead of granting a day off, "nothing will change, except that the salary will go up." Mr Gee, however, feels that "Singaporeans might grumble, but if it's the law, people will comply".

And then there is the issue of what maids do on their days off, a concern often cited by employers as a reason for not allowing them out.

The Church of the Holy Family is one of many organisations that holds classes for maids. Participants pick up a skill, while easing their homesick pangs. To reassure employers, organisers are strict on attendance.

Programme Coordinator Vikki de Jesus, who has been working in Singapore as a maid for 26 years, said she often gets calls from employers checking up on their maids.

She said: "Some domestic helpers say they can't come, but I ask them to get a letter from the employer, to make sure that the employer asked them not to go. Because I want also to make sure that we are not playing around here... We want the communication between the employer and the helper, that they are really here, in our place, in our skills programme."

In Parliament on Oct 20, in a written reply to Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza, the Manpower Minister acknowledged the need for maids to have a time-out, but said the matter "requires careful consideration". CHANNEL NEWSASIA

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/ED ... akeholders

I think MOM is getting crazy. Since when was employers consulted ?

Re: Your Boss Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:24 am
by LOLMum
verykiasu2010 wrote:
A ministry spokesperson said discussions have included employers, maids, maid agencies and non-governmental organisations.

I think MOM is getting crazy. Since when was employers consulted ?

of course, mom consulted the employers. it is just that these employers are working in maid agencies and non-governmental organisations (so very pro maids).



Image

sitting on the fence watching the show.............

Re: Your Boss Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:28 am
by Pen88n
I think the title should be "Your maid can sack u, but u cannot sack your maid!" Where is the law to protect the employers from errant maids?

Re: Your Boss Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:36 am
by verykiasu2010
Pen88n wrote:I think the title should be "Your maid can sack u, but u cannot sack your maid!" Where is the law to protect the employers from errant maids?
None. Nil.

and thanks for the suggestion. done!!

Re: Your Maid Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:04 am
by genmai
If it's implemented, employers will have to work around the maid's schedule and pay more if the maid is so kind to 'consent' working that weekend! :siao: How many of us have this flexibility with our own employer? :mad:

There's also the risk that maids do 'sidelines' with the extra days off. Will employers continue to be liable if they get caught?

Where's the protection for employers? :gloomy:

Re: Your Maid Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:14 am
by minami
This will add on to the unfairness to the employer in the employment contract we have with our maids (not as if the contracts are liable to them in the first place).

If that's the case, why are we still liable for their air tickets and the levy..MOM should just ask them to pay levy not us since the laws are all for protecting the maids instead of us, we are only asking for fair treatment.

Re: Your Maid Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:14 am
by Guest
genmai wrote:If it's implemented, employers will have to work around the maid's schedule and pay more if the maid is so kind to 'consent' working that weekend! :siao: How many of us have this flexibility with our own employer? :mad:

There's also the risk that maids do 'sidelines' with the extra days off. Will employers continue to be liable if they get caught?

Where's the protection for employers? :gloomy:
None!!!!....so I boycott having maids now and rather suffer in other ways than being "bullied" by the system.. :dancing:

Re: Your Maid Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:47 am
by iFirefly
ksi wrote:
genmai wrote:If it's implemented, employers will have to work around the maid's schedule and pay more if the maid is so kind to 'consent' working that weekend! :siao: How many of us have this flexibility with our own employer? :mad:

There's also the risk that maids do 'sidelines' with the extra days off. Will employers continue to be liable if they get caught?

Where's the protection for employers? :gloomy:
None!!!!....so I boycott having maids now and rather suffer in other ways than being "bullied" by the system.. :dancing:
Me too!!! But I don't 'suffer'... Instead I enjoy and rejoice... :dancing:

Re: Your Maid Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:10 am
by Chu Liu Xiang
Remember, if you voted them in then you only have yourself to be blamed, right?

:laugh:

Re: Your Maid Can Sack U, But U Cannot Sack Your Maid!

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:10 am
by yanyan
reading this makes me mad! Luckily i voted for the opposition party,..haha..

anyway..sometimes i cant help thinking we might be better off being a maid than hire a maid..

Whatever go wrong = employer fault...and we are basically their training centre..

if MOM really go ahead with such ruling...i think after my maid's contract is up..i dun want to hire a maid liao..might as well i be maid better..

Anyway..they mention about there are org who hold classes for maids...those maids who attended either have super good employers or they are experienced in sg..What about those who are 1st time maids in sg? I think even if i give my maid off day, she will juz stay at home..then lidat cohsider off day or not?? Will i be penalised?

Keep asking us to improve birth rates but we have to suffer the brunt of it..talk abt govt support..pui..this type of support dun want better...

Sorry for my post...if i offended anyone...A Blue Blue monday morning...