SINGAPORE
Today Online-May 9
The new performance bond imposed on employers of Indonesian domestic helpers was “not an incidental policy” and was carefully thought through, said the Indonesian Embassy here on Wednesday (May 9), a day after Singapore’s Manpower Ministry (MOM) called it unnecessary.
The embassy also clarified that forfeiture of the bond is not automatic when any clauses of the employment contract are breached. The embassy will conduct mediation and only forfeit the bond as a “last resort” if the employer is not cooperative.
The new regulation — which took effect last month — aims to better protect Indonesian migrant workers in Singapore, said the embassy.
There are more than 120,000 Indonesian migrant workers in Singapore, and the embassy handled 1,579 cases last year of workers who faced problems while working here. Issues ranged from not receiving their salaries for months or years, sexual and physical abuse, working hours of up to 19 to 20 hours a day and restrictions on performing religious prayers, said a spokesperson.
These numbers may “only reflect the tip of iceberg” — many of these domestic workers are reluctant to report any misconduct of their employers and/or agencies because they feel afraid or they are not aware of their rights, he said.
“This is where Indonesian Embassy perceives that it is urgently necessary to implement the new regulation in the form of Performance Bond,” added the spokesperson.
The MOM had said on Tuesday the performance bond was unnecessary, given its comprehensive regulatory framework, and questioned the lack of mediation and dispute resolution process available to employers. It said the specific conditions under which the embassy may forfeit the bond are unclear.
The embassy said clauses in its employment contract that is bound to the performance bond include a minimum salary of S$550 a month, four days off per month or compensation in lieu, three nutritious meals a day and the domestic worker’s right to her passport, work permit and other belongings. The worker should also be allowed to conduct religious prayers and not do work that risks her life.
Its performance bond is separate from the S$5,000 security bond that MOM requires of employers to ensure that both the domestic worker and employer comply with the conditions of the Work Permit.
Employers will have to buy a S$70 performance bond guarantee from one of two insurers approved by the embassy. They have to sign a standard employment contract issued by the embassy and may have pay up to S$6,000 for breaching conditions in the employment contract.
The new requirement is applicable to all employers looking to hire a new Indonesian helper, and they are asked by an employment agency to purchase the bond guarantee.
Existing employers of Indonesian foreign domestic workers may also be asked to purchase this bond guarantee if they are renewing their worker’s passport or processing their documents at the embassy.
The Indonesian embassy in Singapore is the first to impose the performance bond and it is the “pilot embassy” for the initiative, being the first “Smart Embassy” awarded by the Indonesian government, said the spokesperson.
“There is a high possibility that in the near future, other citizen service Embassies will implement the same regulation about Performance Bond,” he added.
