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Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 3:54 pm
by lousy-mom
How do you feel about Ministry of Manpower (MOM)?

Has MOM done its part to protect the interest of Foreign Domestic Worker's (FDW) employer who is merely a household, commoner (salaried employee) drawing monthly salary, not operating an organisation or company?

Has MOM been very pro-maid? Too concerned and friendly to FDWs, the imported manpower, assumed to be lowly paid and poorly treated in Spore?

Is MOM very pro-agency? What regulations did MOM set to provent us from paying high non-refundable agency fee and maid-loan?

When was the last time you see MOM said no to source countries unreasonable request? Example minimum salary, maid loan to be borned by employer, etc.

What regulation was set to prevent our FDW insurance from becoming zero refund value once FDW is employed for more than 181 days, in your name? Regardless she's housed in agency, runaway maid or truly a bad FDW.

Is there a MOM sub-portal for all FDW's employers to load a job description of their preferred FDWs - for better job matching and prevent maid agencies & FDWs from running away from responsibilities, feedback on FDW's conduct, reasons for transfer/repatriation, etc.

Did MOM stand up to help employers who encountered bad FDWs or Employment Agencies? Which association or free-of-charge govt body has been set up to help distressed FDW's employer?

Can you identify the policies that are fair to us, the FDW's employer?

Can you tell me in what ways MOM has treated us, the citizens (employer of one FDW, not a highly paid salaried employee) better than FDWs?

Does MOM know we are not rich, most live in small HDB unit and unable to provide single room for FDW's privacy?

Is this how a government body shows its concern to citizens? Ignore FDWs' employer, let them fight for own survival? Face the harshness? Let middle income citizens continued to be bullied by source country and maid agencies' terms .... not forgetting FDW's personal demands of a desirable employment?
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If above happens to your child or somebody close to you, will you clap hands and encourage maid/agency to do more? Why MOM and activists just keen to protect FDWs and pretend they are so kind .... like a saviour but ignored what employers are facing? :mad:

An e-portal is something that will be helpful if MOM allows an online documentation of each FDW, viewable by Singpass holder. This online form allows FDW's Employer to indicate what's the purpose of hiring a FDW, ensures maid agency do proper screening and job matching. It can be done by employer or maid agency as long as FDW's employers requirements can be clearly reflected in the database. Maid agencies should not interfere or chide employers for being too detailed. The to-be-hired FDW will have to ensure she knows her duties and no chance to claim job not what she expected, thus, causing her employer to suffer losses.

A section to be completed before FDW's work permit is issued and another to be completed when her services is terminated. Prospective employer looking for maid can login to the portal with Singpass to do a job history and FDW search. MOM should stop penalising employer for releasing a bad worker. Example of a proposed MOM online form should look something like this:

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Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 11:08 am
by chixchix
Why do we as Employers only grumble ? have a petition, get as many signatures as you can and send to MOM, and even to our dear Goh Chok Tong or whoever is in power now. Maid works with you 1 day or 1 year ,employer kena pay flight fare,we pay the maid full salary but need to endure their whines.I am horrified seeing the pictures above. If you do interview,maid will say everything also YES but when she comes to your house,everything also different. Honestly sometimes cant blame the agency also , the maid wants to get a job fast so she will say everything ok.

Something has got to be done because our government here protects the maids more ! Do you remember Tamarind, more employers should join hands with her.

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 12:30 pm
by Linlin
I strongly agree! MOM never protect employer rights! Why must we be responsible when they runaway with their bf, borrow money we pay for them, come here work 1-2 month is ex sin still must give them more pay, got preg and we need to pay their airfare and send them back. Last min they want to quit they can just quit and no need to serve notice and still entitled off day every week like us and we still need to compensate them.

Can the maid got problem come back SG again to work? Yes, just change name and re entry..
If maid bring man home and thing is lost how? Employer problem not MOM or maid problem..
Maid lied about working history how? Employer must accept and bear with it!

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 12:57 pm
by janet88
There may be bad and cruel employers...but what about cruel and bad maids? MOM protects the interests of foreign domestic workers who are merely 'employees' working here for many families who cannot afford to provide a room exclusively for them.

Is MOM so afraid of offending countries the maids come from? When maids kill employers in Saudi Arabia, they get sentenced to death. But when maids kill employers, elderly or handicapped kids, they just get jailed...and then deported. The maid who set fire to employer's office several years ago in Bukit Merah killed the female employer and her young daughter. The baby boy is now an orphan bcos his father was heartbroken over his wife's death and died.

Many of these maids can be so stubborn. But when employers get a change (even a free replacement), insurance is not transferable.

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 1:23 pm
by Coolkidsrock2
The comparison with Hong Kong as a destination is not apple-to-apple as they do not practise the concept of transfer. Based on my understanding, the employer do not need to pay any deposit. If the maid's is not able to perform, her permit will be cancelled and she has to leave. This serves as a deterrant to them as they had incurred an actual cost to venture there. I know of a maid who had been undecided for more than a year if she should attempt to work in Hong Kong again. Her permit was cancelled and she had to go and the experience stays with her.

This cost is transferred to employers in Singapore. Some maids already leave their home country with the mindset that they are here "to see the world". I had a maid who needed to see the doctors 3 times within a week of joining me - headache, stomach pain, ... She even faked a fall - pined under the ladder. Brought her to the doctor again who said no injury found. Asked her if need to be hospitalised for further tests or not. Then she realised that she cannot get away with all these tricks.

Perhaps the laws relating to FDWs need to be re-look at with a fresh eye as the profiles of the FDWs have changed and the protection that the laws intended may no longer be relevant.

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 1:41 pm
by janet88
My Singaporean friend employed an Indon maid to help her in Hong Kong.
Yes, there is no such thing as transfer or return to agency...once employer cancels her permit, maid has to leave. Hong Kong employers may be willing to pay higher salaries but these maids are expected to perform efficiently. Like going to market and bringing the kids for tuition and back, housework, cooking. There is very little hand-holding. Like what my friend once said of her neighbours, 'screw up and off she goes'.

My prev maids came to Singapore to enjoy life...and we the silly fools, are paying for their 'tour'.

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 4:27 pm
by Linlin
My previous maid want high pay but dont know how to do housechores. I still need to help her wash clothes cos she dont know how to wash, i cook for her to eat cos she also dont know how to cook. As for wash floor, i know she lazy to sweep i ended up buy vacumm for her to use. She used iron already nv keep in cupboard cos she claim she forgotten then my son forehead got scald and i have to take urgent leave to go hm. Cant say much to her cos im afraid if i offend her wait she give me more problem. I bear with her till i cant take it anymore.. i quit my job and paid my notice just to make sure my house routine not affected and send her bk. :faint:

MOM here is so :slapshead:

They staff there got maid? I think if their maid got problem they sure do something but if not their maid i think they cant bother..
Imagine the maid know her employer work MOM u think she dare to be funny?

If i go overseas to work as maid dont know sg embassy at overseas will treat me like queen? :udawoman:

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 7:08 pm
by Coolkidsrock2
janet_lee88 wrote:My Singaporean friend employed an Indon maid to help her in Hong Kong.
Yes, there is no such thing as transfer or return to agency...once employer cancels her permit, maid has to leave. Hong Kong employers may be willing to pay higher salaries but these maids are expected to perform efficiently. Like going to market and bringing the kids for tuition and back, housework, cooking. There is very little hand-holding. Like what my friend once said of her neighbours, 'screw up and off she goes'.

My prev maids came to Singapore to enjoy life...and we the silly fools, are paying for their 'tour'.
Hong Kong pays higher salary because the maids are able to value add more. I had an ex-colleague who would call the maid to start cooking her dinner before she leaves from work. This is usually from 9pm onwards. Her children would have already taken their dinner. What this means is that the maid effectively prepares 2 dinner every weeknight.

Maids in Hong Kong needs to be able to cook very well. Apart from main meals, they also enjoy "sweet soup" and dessert.

Their housekeeping may be easier because the houses in Hong Kong are generally smaller.

Thus far, it had been an inverse relationship between my maids' (ever-increasing pay (which is determined by the agents) and their job scope, value-add, productivity .... :slapshead:

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 6:59 am
by janet88
one of my maids once told me this...to work in singapore, study english for
1-2 months...to work in hongkong, study for 6 months bcos have to understand english and cantonese. my hongkonger friend told me the maids in hk have to know how to run the household efficiently and buy the incense/stuff for chinese 3rd and 7th month...housework easy peasy bcos the flats are so small...use the octopus card to go marketing and get scolding from fierce stall owners.

Re: Lousy Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 8:54 am
by pirate
Coolkidsrock2 wrote:Hong Kong pays higher salary because the maids are able to value add more.
Funny... I though HK pays higher salary because don't have to pay levy. The value add is practically free.