Maternity Perks For Maids - the grey line between personal and professional lives

[Endoh]

I recently wrote a blog post in my personal blog regarding two NGOs who are pushing for maternity perks to be extended out to maids aka domestic helpers.

Yesterday, Mediacorp's Today had also published my post. (The grammatical errors are embarrassing.) So, I am not going to cut and paste the entire article here.

Let the discussion begin. What do you feel about this issue?

 

[Lotus]

I'm really not sure how this would work in Singapore. I feel that maids currently do not have sufficient basic human rights provided for them in Singapore - the lack of regulation in regards to work hours, pay, roles and responsibilities, living quarters etc. These basic employment issues afforded to many others in Singapore are lacking for many low income earners. Realistically how can Singapore even consider maternity leave before it even deals with basic employment conditions?

Furthermore, how does the implementation of maternity leave stop people from circumventing this process by cancelling their maids work permit and sending them back home upon discovering the pregancy?

 

[Endoh]

The layers are too complex. Much more factors goes into it than just "equality" itself. To actually ask for same perks as Singapore women when they are not even PRs, is a joke to me actually. At the end of it, it's telling the world Singaporeans are no different being citizen or not.

 

[Pink daisy]

"...that maids currently do not have sufficient basic human rights provided for them in Singapore - the lack of regulation in regards to work hours, pay, roles and responsibilities, living quarters etc. "

First, I think the above is rather subjective, indon maids in their country averagely paid from SGD60-80/mth, with no off days. Whilst in Singapore their rights and well-being is more protected and regulated. Hence the perks.

Second, the maids' future wages increment (as well as the proposed bill) will lower their employabilities, while at the same time creates higher influx of maids.

Third, such policy only invites more troubles than fulfils its purpose. It's almost the same thing of encouraging them to extend their social state into making families.
What's next? Convert their status to a PR? :we2wacko:

I hope they consider the long-term consequences & re-evaluate the policies carefully; can't seem to see any evident benefits out of it.