Migrant Workers

In December 2013, Singapore had its first riot in more than forty years.  Some 300 migrant workers in the Little India district became incensed after one worker was run over by a bus and died.  The crowd quickly turned into a mob, throwing fire-lit beer bottles at police officers, overturning police cars, and destroying ambulances. 

The incident highlighted the state of migrant workers who come from afar countries such as Bangladesh, China, and Nepal.  Many work long, backbreaking hours in fields such as construction and manufacturing, earning wages of less than $800 a month.  Throw in delays in salary payment, work related injuries, crowded living spaces, and segregation from general society and it is easy for one to become sympathetic to migrant worker’s predicaments.

The migrant worker plight is not restricted to Singapore.  In Hong Kong, there have been cases of abuse towards foreign domestic helpers.    Potentially as many as 1,000 workers in Qatar have died in preparation of the 2022 World Cup.  Perhaps most notably, roughly 200 million migrant workers in China have left their rural homes for the job opportunities in the coastal urban areas. China’s predicament is particularly complicated as the country tries to balance reforming the hukou household registration system, and doing so at a practical and implementable pace.

There is no easy solution, but steps can be taken toward improvements. Government must see to it that contracts are enforced, especially in the pay and work safety areas.  This can be done by establishing and supporting social enterprises that investigate and ensure these two criteria are met by companies reliant on the cheap foreign labor.  Often migrant workers face too many disincentives to report their problems, and such entities should allow workers to openly voice their concerns. 

Next governments should turn their attention to the living conditions of workers.  Singapore recently established campuses for migrant workers to live.  The campuses are equipped with kitchens, gyms, movie theaters, and clinics among other facilities.  Companies pay roughly $200 a month to house workers in such accommodations, a reasonable though not insignificant amount.  Some argue that such communal facilities are too segregated and are more like prisons than homes.  However the popularity of the Singapore campuses illustrates that such facilities are a viable option for the migrant population.

Lastly and perhaps most easily implementable, communities should make a greater effort to show appreciation to these instrumental components of society.   Holidays such a Labor Day should celebrate the contributions the workers have made.

On weekday mornings, I run through the Aljunied district as I head to my office in the Singapore financial district.  In Aljunied, I see the migrant workers waking up prior to sunrise in their crowded and run-down accommodation as they make their way to the back of a pick-up truck which will send them to build the next skyscraper.  Such mornings remind me of my fortunes, the great worth of the migrants, and the improvements that are needed to the migrant’s work and living conditions.

First Image Sourced from AsiaOne.com