Good. The way we allow migrant workers to be treated in Singapore is pathetic. Finally this issue of transporting them in lorries is getting a critical mass of attention. Ironically, he didn't win...
Good. The way we allow migrant workers to be treated in Singapore is pathetic. Finally this issue of transporting them in lorries is getting a critical mass of attention.
Ironically, he didn't win because workers shouldn't be transported in a lorry, it's that the lorry was only licensed to transport 22 workers and the company squeezed 24 in.
Disclaimer: I'm a Singaporean Indian with a domestic helper just to put that up front The problem to me isn't the use of cheaper foreign labour, it's the unwillingness of the government to step in...
Disclaimer: I'm a Singaporean Indian with a domestic helper just to put that up front
The problem to me isn't the use of cheaper foreign labour, it's the unwillingness of the government to step in to legislate on these issues. This means that in the household sphere the situation of domestic helpers are hugely controlled by the attitudes of their employers. In the commercial sector, migrant labourers are likewise dependent on the goodwill of their employers which tends to end at the point where profits might be imperilled.
In the same way the racial issues you've noted are pervasive too, and likewise there's a deep reluctance to actually effectively legislate against this sort of discrimination. As an Indian Singaporean I've encountered my share of racism- not as much as many others because of the way I code socially, admittedly.
Having said that when we start seeing more noise about a particular issue in the (state controlled) media, it's usually a signal that the government is preparing the ground for more action on an issue.
Politically, the ruling party leadership is going through a generational transition as well and the up and coming younger leaders seem to be more supportive of the idea of government intervention in social uplift and a bit more technocratic than the incumbent PM and his cronies who are all 1980s Harvard biz school neoliberals.
Good. The way we allow migrant workers to be treated in Singapore is pathetic. Finally this issue of transporting them in lorries is getting a critical mass of attention.
Ironically, he didn't win because workers shouldn't be transported in a lorry, it's that the lorry was only licensed to transport 22 workers and the company squeezed 24 in.
Disclaimer: I'm a Singaporean Indian with a domestic helper just to put that up front
The problem to me isn't the use of cheaper foreign labour, it's the unwillingness of the government to step in to legislate on these issues. This means that in the household sphere the situation of domestic helpers are hugely controlled by the attitudes of their employers. In the commercial sector, migrant labourers are likewise dependent on the goodwill of their employers which tends to end at the point where profits might be imperilled.
In the same way the racial issues you've noted are pervasive too, and likewise there's a deep reluctance to actually effectively legislate against this sort of discrimination. As an Indian Singaporean I've encountered my share of racism- not as much as many others because of the way I code socially, admittedly.
Having said that when we start seeing more noise about a particular issue in the (state controlled) media, it's usually a signal that the government is preparing the ground for more action on an issue.
Politically, the ruling party leadership is going through a generational transition as well and the up and coming younger leaders seem to be more supportive of the idea of government intervention in social uplift and a bit more technocratic than the incumbent PM and his cronies who are all 1980s Harvard biz school neoliberals.