A case of complete oppression that we have collectively turned a blind eye to

Singapore has a reputation for having one of the world’s leading economies being a global financial hub in the Asia Pacific region. As of 2023, Singapore ranks as the third wealthiest country in the world and the richest in Asia by GDP per capita. Understandably, Singapore is regarded as a place with a high standard of living. The competitive salaries have attracted many foreign workers to find work opportunities in Singapore.

Under this mask of success and wealth, we have turned a blind eye to the unfair treatment that plagues the low wage foreign workers here. This article will aim to explore the working landscape of this collective, the systematic failures of our policy makers as well as the ignorance of such problems by the working society at large.

According to the Ministry of Manpower, the latest data (June 2022) shows that Singapore has 1,305,800 foreign workers, making up 35% of the total working population. Of the 1,305,800 foreign workers, 74% are low wage laborers working in the construction and domestic industry. A significant proportion of these migrant workers come from less developed countries such as Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Myanmar and The Philippines in hopes of sending money back to their families. Despite the integral role they play in the building of Singapore’s nation, our migrant workers are often overlooked, marginalized, exploited and denied basic legal rights. These low paid migrant workers, whose work is devalued and considered undesirable, stomach third world living conditions in a first world city.

Working without a minimum wage, these workers earn a paltry sum, an average of SGD4.28 per hour. Migrant workers, on average, pay an agent or a recruitment company SGD3000 to SGD 15,000 just to land a job in Singapore. This means they have to work a few months without payment, to cover the recruitment fees. On top of the measly salaries, they toil endlessly under the sun, in dangerous working environments. Many risk their lives working at dangerous heights, with hazardous machinery and equipment. In 2022, there were a total of 36 work-related fatalities, all the victims being migrant workers. Most of these workers do not enjoy health care benefits from their company and do not get any form of remuneration for work related injuries. This is not only placing a gamble on their safety but is also detrimental to their physical health in the long run.

Additionally, the substandard living conditions in accommodations called “Purpose Built Dormitories” are a cause for concern. One room in these dormitories can house up to 30 workers. The living space is packed and crowded with bunk beds, substandard sanitary conditions and poor ventilation. On top of that, these workers stay away from their families, do not have the means to communicate in their mother tongue, and feel a level of discrimination by society as a whole, which makes many feel very isolated. As a result, it is no surprise that many of them struggle with mental health issues. These existing problems and poor treatment, when not addressed, have rendered visible the vast inequalities present, especially during the outbreak of Covid19.

At the peak of the outbreak in Singapore, 90% of the infected cases were among 300,000 migrant construction workers. Quarantined in the above-mentioned conditions, packing together the infected with non-infected for an indefinite period of time, only escalated the spread of the virus and proved to be a tremendous amount of stress for those involved. Multiple reports of migrant workers attempting to take their own lives were made. How can a country with a world class healthcare system fail to anticipate and address the problems of its vulnerable population? This is the direct result of Singapore’s exploitative structure of labor management and shows the systematic failure of our policy makers. The Covid19 predicament is clear evidence of the disparity between living conditions and health care accessibility of an average Singaporean and a migrant worker. This attracted the media’s attention and raised much needed awareness.

Despite articles being written and policy makers questioned, the majority of us still scroll past posts, ignore the cries for help and disregard the prejudiced treatment. Ignorant Singaporeans shrug at squalid living conditions in dormitories because it does not affect us. After all, what can we do?

Naturally, one would point at the government and employers for the lack of welfare. They make the rules and decisions that would directly impact the workers. In the end, they are the ones in power and they should be held accountable. While this is somewhat true, are those in power solely responsible for the oppression of the vulnerable? Can we as citizens completely disregard what is clearly so unjust?

My answer to that would be a resounding no. In such a case of oppression, many factors come into play. While policymakers have the autonomy to construct policies that directly determine the foreign workers’ standard of living, these policies are also constructed around the needs of society, which residents determine. As citizens, many Singaporeans feel entitled to a better treatment than foreigners. Xenophobic sentiments exist and many are uncomfortable even to coexist in physical proximity. The veracious objection to the proposed development of the Serangoon Garden dormitory in a wealthy neighborhood, is a prime example of xenophobia. We would rather have migrant workers live far away from the city center and the general population. To retain political favor, in a society based on democracy, government decisions will have to placate such violent protestations from citizens.

Like the systems of a cogwheel, each decision spurs on the decision of another. We participate, encourage, support and are supported by social structures that collectively contribute to the struggles of low wage migrant workers. We fall short to create a balanced society where every human earns their keep. In our comfort zones and with everything working in our favor, there is an absence of motivation to break from this cycle of inequality. Most of us, fortunate residents of this country, proceed with grumblings of our mundane lives forgetting the ones who pave our roads and build our walls. To put it bluntly, this is how we conveniently write off modern day slavery.

There are some caveats, however, in that not all hope is lost. There are a handful of Singaporean Samaritans that have decided to act on these issues. Commendable groups such as “Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)” and “Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME)” have been initiated. These non profit organizations aim to advocate the rights of foreign migrant workers and protect their welfare. For example, HOME provides direct assistance, shelter and food to domestic workers who experience abuse and exploitation. They offer employment advice, legal aid, language courses and skills training for all migrant workers. Despite their noteworthy movements, people working for change face many roadblocks. Good intentions have their hands tied when there is a lack of resources and manpower.

In conclusion, Singaporeans should not forget that these low wage workers are the backbone of the economy. They built the offices, shopping malls and even the world class airport which we are proud of. In reality, they are no different from anyone else in this country.They are humans with families and friends, trying to sustain themselves in an expensive world. In our pursuit for success, Singapore may have blindsided our humanity.