During his tour of Asia’s poorest to richest nations, Pope Francis advocated for the rights of migrant workers in Singapore. He mentioned that migrant workers have immensely contributed to the development of Singapore into an advanced economy; therefore, they deserve dignified pay and working conditions.
In his own words, “These workers contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage.” He further highlights, “I would like to highlight the risk entailed in focusing solely on pragmatism or placing merit above all things, namely the unintended consequence of justifying the exclusion of those on the margins from benefiting from progress,”. He warned the government of Singapore on the consequence of rewarding excellence at all costs.
Last year, Human Rights Watch, in its report, mentioned the abusive working conditions for the migrant workers in Singapore. They mentioned that the foreign workers in the country are exploited through exorbitant debts owed to recruitment agents, non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, sexual violence, confiscation of passports and more.
Also read, South Korean Jobs Data Puts Asia-Pacific Market On Risk.
Why is This a Big News?
Singapore is an advanced economy with high living standards and low crime rates. Still, it is equally expensive, and its competitive work environment makes for stressful, overworked people. Moreover, migrant workers account for more than a third of Singapore’s workforce, and more than 250,000 of these migrant workers are from third-world countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and others. They work in construction, shipping, and maintenance jobs. Yet Singapore lacks a minimum wage policy not only for migrants but also for locals.
