Singapore: Singapore on Monday spelt out a two-pronged approach to manage foreign workers that included reducing the reliance on low-cost labour to avoid a situation like the December 8 riot involving migrant workers from South Asia.
Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin gave the government’s response in Parliament today to the state-appointed Committee of Inquiry’s (COI) recently-released report on the Little India riot, Singapore’s worst street violence in 40 years. Responding to the report, Tan announced two-pronged approach on the management of the foreign workforce: Raising the profile of workers here by helping companies reduce their reliance on low-cost labour, and improving the workers’ accommodation and recreation facilities.
The report, released June 30, after a month-long probe into the riot involving migrant workers from South Asia. The street violence left 54 police and defence officers injured and 23 emergency vehicles damaged.
Tan highlighted the fact that the foreign worker growth rate dropped from 9.4 per cent in 2011 to 4.6 per cent in 2012, and halved again to just 2.3 per cent last year. This was due to tightening measures, with most sectors having to adopt a high-productivity, manpower-lean approach, he told Parliament.
“Even as we undertake to more effectively manage the foreign workers in our midst, the broader lesson is that growth in foreign worker numbers cannot go unabated. “In line with the recommendations made by the Economic Strategies Committee in 2010, we have begun to moderate the growth of foreign workers to more sustainable levels, with a greater emphasis on productivity improve-ments,” said Tan. “We have also taken deliberate and progressive steps to raise the quality profile of our foreign workforce and help businesses reduce their reliance on low-cost foreign labour,” he said.
“The Government has introduced the SGD 5.9 billion Quality Growth Programme in Budget 2013 to help our businesses and industries make this transition,” said the Minister.
Tan said the recommendation to make more services and amenities available to foreign workers outside of congregation areas such as Little India is already in process. (PTI)
