ZCZC
BFF-29
SINGAPORE-INDONESIA-LABOUR-MAIDS
Singapore punishes firm after ‘maids for sale’ ads spark outrage
SINGAPORE, Sept 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Singapore has suspended a maid
employment agency’s licence and threatened to prosecute the company over
“undignified” online ads offering Indonesian helpers for sale, after the
postings sparked fury.
Singapore is home to almost 250,000 maids, mostly from poor parts of
Indonesia or the Philippines, who head to the tiny but wealthy city-state to
earn higher salaries than they can back home.
Conditions for Indonesian maids in tightly-regulated Singapore are
generally regarded as better than in other places, such as Malaysia or parts
of the Middle East, but the ads on online marketplace Carousell sparked a
rare flare-up of tensions over the issue.
The adverts under the user name “maid.recruitment” reportedly offered the
services of several helpers from Indonesia, while some ads indicated maids
had been “sold”.
The postings triggered an outcry in Indonesia, with NGO Migrant Care
slamming them as “unjust and demeaning”, and they were later removed from the
site.
Singapore’s labour ministry said in a statement late Wednesday the
employment agency SRC Recruitment LLP’s licence had been suspended, meaning
it can no longer place maids with employers, and authorities were
investigating them with a view to filing charges.
“We strongly condemn the advertising of foreign domestic worker services
in an undignified manner,” said Kevin Teoh, commissioner for employment
agencies.
Advertising foreign maids on an internet platform meant for trading goods
“is completely inappropriate and unacceptable”, he said, adding that this is
an offence.
The ministry said it told Carousell, which operates in several Asian
countries, to take down the offending posts immediately after it was informed
about them on September 14.
In a separate Facebook post, Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo said she
was “deeply disturbed” by the adverts.
“To many of us, our foreign domestic workers are a part of the family…
It is a given that we should treat them with respect,” she said.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1220HRS INGAPORE-INDONESIA-LABOUR-MAIDSSingapore punishes firm
after ‘maids for sale’ ads spark outrage09/20/2018 11:14:50 GMT+06:00#824166
DGTE 192 LXN16 (4) AFP (330)
SINGAPORE, Sept 20, 2018 (AFP) – Singapore has suspended a maid employment
agency’s licence and threatened to prosecute the company over “undignified”
online ads offering Indonesian helpers for sale, after the postings sparked
fury. Singapore is home to almost 250,000 maids, mostly from poor parts of
Indonesia or the Philippines, who head to the tiny but wealthy city-state to
earn higher salaries than they can back home. Conditions for Indonesian maids
in tightly-regulated Singapore are generally regarded as better than in other
places, such as Malaysia or parts of the Middle East, but the ads on online
marketplace Carousell sparked a rare flare-up of tensions over the issue. The
adverts under the user name “maid.recruitment” reportedly offered the
services of several helpers from Indonesia, while some ads indicated maids
had been “sold”. The postings triggered an outcry in Indonesia, with NGO
Migrant Care slamming them as “unjust and demeaning”, and they were later
removed from the site. Singapore’s labour ministry said in a statement late
Wednesday the employment agency SRC Recruitment LLP’s licence had been
suspended, meaning it can no longer place maids with employers, and
authorities were investigating them with a view to filing charges. “We
strongly condemn the advertising of foreign domestic worker services in an
undignified manner,” said Kevin Teoh, commissioner for employment agencies.
Advertising foreign maids on an internet platform meant for trading goods “is
completely inappropriate and unacceptable”, he said, adding that this is an
offence. The ministry said it told Carousell, which operates in several Asian
countries, to take down the offending posts immediately after it was informed
about them on September 14. In a separate Facebook post, Minister for
Manpower Josephine Teo said she was “deeply disturbed” by the adverts. “To
many of us, our foreign domestic workers are a part of the family… It is a
given that we should treat them with respect,” she said. mba/sr/qan Facebook
(isin = US30303M1027)