Some 40 construction firms have stepped in to offer 150 jobs to the migrant workers caught in a wage dispute with an air-con servicing company, said The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on Wednesday (June 24).
In a doorstop visit at Tuas View Dormitory on Wednesday, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said that they have been working with their employer partners to facilitate job matching and placements for the affected migrant workers.
"As of this morning, we have 40 [construction] firms stepping forward [with] 150 vacancies to hopefully be able to match these migrant workers into new jobs as quickly as possible," shared Ng.
He stressed that job placement is "more critical" for these migrant workers as they owe agency fees and some of them are struggling with debts.
This comes after over 100 migrant workers gathered at the MOM headquarters in Bendemeer on Monday over alleged unpaid wages.
The workers, who are mainly from India and Bangladesh, had allegedly been owed wages by KPA Engineering and SK Industries and decided to seek help that day.
Ng highlighted that NTUC will do their best to work directly with the employers to avoid involving any agents and prevent the migrant workers from shouldering new debts in order to get a new job in Singapore.
He also added that NTUC will continue working to increase the number of vacancies available so that all the 400 affected workers can be swiftly matched to a new job.
"Employers must be responsible, and I'm glad that many employers have come forward to assist these migrant workers," Ng said.
Ng shared that the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and the tripartite partners are working to contact the employers involved in the case.
"I have conversed with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). We will do our very best to recover their owed salaries," said Ng. "I think the practice of abandoning the workers and not paying salaries is not something the NTUC will stand without acting upon it."
He also shared that each worker will be provided with $100 in cash and $100 FairPrice vouchers. NTUC and Migrant Workers' Centre will also provide for their lodging, transport and food to meet their daily needs.
"The migrant workers are understandably very anxious about the employment situation, and the owed salaries," said Ng, adding that the workers seem keen on continuing to work in Singapore.
Ministry of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash, who was also at the dormitory visit, said that the ministry takes a very serious view of "the employers who might have caused the migrant workers to be in this situation", adding that MOM will take the necessary actions following investigations.
He said that the ministry engaged around 300 migrant workers during the visit.
"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 Dinesh, adding that the unpaid salaries were owed for around one to four months.
He added that while the funding support provided to the workers may be "modest" at this point, it is still useful to help the workers tide over this period and top up their mobile phone credits so they can speak to their family back home.
Jayasankar Vinothkumar, 41, from KPA Engineering, told AsiaOne that he is owed three months' worth of salary, amounting to about $3,200. He also alleged that the company had not maintained proper bookkeeping practices since he joined in August last year.
He reckoned that he had borrowed $20,000 to pay for his sister's marriage, agent fees and other daily expenses.
Vinothkumar, who has been working in Singapore for 14 years, said that he had promised to set aside money for his daughter who had stopped going to school because they could no longer pay the fees.
Another migrant worker, Islam Md Rafiul from VVR Plant Engineering, told AsiaOne that he had not been paid for at least a month.
"I cannot tell [this to] my family," said the 20-year-old from Bangladesh, adding that they would be worried if they find out what transpired.
Additional reporting by Ella Chou
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