Maternity perks urged for maids

[Joanstar]

The proposed changes to the Employment Act may see more local workers coming under its umbrella, but two non—government organisations (NGOs) want the protection extended to domestic workers too — including the provision of the latest maternity benefits.

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Describing them as the “poorest of poor workers in Singapore in terms of wages, legal protection, occupational mobility and other conditions of employment”, the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (Home) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) have urged the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to ensure that these workers get “full and equal protection” under the Act.

These would include a minimum salary, hours of work, rest days, paid annual leave and sick leave as well as maternity protection and benefits.

Domestic workers here, most of whom are women, number about 180,000, and the NGOs said that Singapore should take the cue from Hong Kong in ensuring that these workers have a statutory weekly rest day, public holidays, maternity leave and the right to a minimum wage.

Asked if domestic helpers should be allowed to give birth here, Home’s executive director Jolovan Wham told Today: “We don’t have a view on that yet. But we are suggesting that they be given the 12—week maternity leave currently available toeither deliver their babies here or back in their home country.”

Work permit and security bond conditions prohibit female work permit holders, including maids, from getting pregnant.

Another reason to bring domestic workers under the Employment Act: An employer would not be able to terminate her without the required notice period or payment in lieu of notice, or sack her immediately without the due process of an inquiry, said Home and TWC2.

The two groups also argued that the current standard contract agreed by the accreditation bodies, CaseTrust and the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore), does not provide for paid sick leave, annual leave and public holidays. Nor does it specify expected work hours and payment for overtime work. These should be brought in line with current labour legislation, they argued.

The submission is part of a broader feedback to the MOM, which is reviewing the Employment Act. The MOM has expressed the need to “take a balanced approach between employment protection for workers and maintaining Singapore’s labour market flexibility and competitiveness” in updating the Act, which covers about 1.4 million workers. It was last reviewed in 1995.

The NGOs, in supporting the MOM initiative, said the proposed amendments to the Act should also reflect the interests of migrant workers, who form a significant proportion of low wage workers in Singapore. There are about 600,000 work permit holders here (excluding domestic workers), they said. — TODAY/ra

quoted from Yahoo! News





Are maids here to give birth ?? why nid maternity leaves?? Bad feelings.....