400 migrant workers with unpaid wages to get S$200 each, 150 job vacancies lined up: Ng Chee Meng

400 migrant workers with unpaid wages to get S0 each, 150 job vacancies lined up: Ng Chee Meng

SINGAPORE: Around 400 migrant workers with unpaid wages will each receive S$200 in cash and vouchers to help meet daily expenses, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said on Wednesday (Jun 24).

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) will give S$100 in cash and S$100 in FairPrice vouchers to each worker.

NTUC has also found 150 construction job vacancies from around 40 employers in the past two days, Mr Ng added.

Speaking to the media at Tuas View Dormitory, where most of the workers are currently housed, NTUC’s secretary-general said the labour movement has also discussed with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on recovering the workers’ salaries.

“The practice of abandoning the workers and not paying salaries is not something that NTUC will stand without acting upon,” said Mr Ng.

“Employers must be responsible, and I’m glad that many employers have come forward to assist these migrant workers.”

The visit comes after more than 100 migrant workers employed by KPA Engineering and SK Industries turned up at MOM’s services centre at Bendemeer on Monday morning seeking help, having gone unpaid for months.

Workers gathered there told CNA they had been unable to contact their bosses over the owed wages.

“I understand that they may not be in the country,” said Mr Ng.

NTUC, MWC and MOM spoke with around 200 of the affected workers on Wednesday to discuss the unpaid salaries and distributed lunch during the session. Most workers said they had not been paid for three months and wanted to seek alternative employment in Singapore.

Ministry of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash, who was also present at Wednesday’s dormitory visit, said the ministry takes a “very serious view” of employers who may have placed the workers in their current situation, and that the ministry would take the necessary actions following investigations.

“Some of their stories are quite heart-wrenching. Many of them have debts to clear. I spoke to one person who’s having difficulty because the kid needs money in order to go to school,” said Mr Dinesh, adding that the unpaid salaries amounted to between one and four months of wages.

While the funding support was “modest”, he said it would help workers tide over the period and top up mobile phone credits so they could contact family back home.

MOM will issue special passes to the workers in the interim, allowing them to remain in Singapore while seeking new employment.

“They do not need to worry about their employment status during this process until they are able to find new employment,” said Mr Dinesh.

Most of the workers are in air-conditioning installation or construction, sectors with sufficient job demand, he added.

On housing, Mr Dinesh said workers would be moved to MOM’s onboarding centre in Sengkang once their stays at Tuas View Dormitory end, so they “don’t need to worry about a roof over their heads”.

MWC said earlier it was helping with the workers’ immediate needs, including temporary shelter, food and transportation assistance, and had visited the dormitory on Monday to engage the workers on their concerns.

MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, which handles salary disputes, are also assisting the workers, including reaching out to their employers.

CNA has contacted KPA Engineering and SK Industries.

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