Raising Awareness amongst Foreign Workers on Hygiene and Work Practices
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Er Dr Lee Bee Wah’s inquiry on educating foreign workers about hygiene and work practices and the Ministry's awareness of serious littering in dormitories. Minister for Manpower Lim Swee Say explained that arriving workers receive a Handy Guide in their native language covering employment rights, hygiene, and safe work practices. These educational efforts are reinforced through newsletters, roadshows, and the appointment of Foreign Worker Ambassadors to provide advice within dormitories. Minister for Manpower Lim Swee Say added that dormitory operators must maintain cleanliness, with the Ministry conducting regular inspections to ensure satisfactory living conditions. Enforcement action is taken against errant operators, and the public is urged to report specific dormitories facing serious littering issues.
Transcript
10 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry hands out brochures to foreign workers in their native language to educate them about hygiene and work practices here when they first arrive in Singapore; and (b) whether the Ministry is aware that the littering problem in some dormitories is very serious, especially during weekends.
Mr Lim Swee Say: MOM gives all foreign workers a Handy Guide in their native language when they first arrive to help them adjust to working and living in Singapore. The guide educates them about their employment rights and responsibilities, as well as the consequences of not complying with our laws. It also provides practical advice to help them settle down, such as good hygiene practices, safe work practices and channels of assistance if they encounter problems. These messages are reinforced in MOM's newsletters and the roadshows for foreign workers that MOM conducts jointly with other agencies. MOM also appoints Foreign Worker Ambassadors who help provide advice to foreign workers staying in their dormitories.
On the issue of littering in dormitories, dormitory operators are expected to maintain the cleanliness of their dormitory premises at all times. MOM regularly inspects dormitories and will ask operators to make improvements if the living conditions are found to be unsatisfactory. Where the well-being of the workers is compromised as a result of poor dormitory conditions, MOM will take enforcement action against the errant operators. We urge anyone with information on specific dormitories that have serious littering issues to report these to MOM.