11 ms·

They were paying here SGD600/month. Can you even survive in Singapore with that salary?

tus88 6y ago
Did she get accommodation too?
ItsDeathball 6y ago
While I don't know the specifics here, my understanding from being there a few years ago was that most lower-income workers in Singapore commute in from Malaysia.
- AmericanChopper 6y ago
  Most of them live in migrant dormitories, or usually with the case of maids, accomodation provided by their employer. Some apartments will have “maids quarters”, which will be a seperate room with its own entrance/exit. But that’s not terribly common in Singapore. Typically they’d just have their own bedroom.
  - nicolas_t 6y ago
    And often enough the maid bedroom has no windows and is sometimes placed next to the kitchen.
Wintereise 6y ago
Most maids in SG are live-in, so her food (typically quite shitty food, but food nonetheless) and accommodation are covered.
- SRTP 6y ago
  This is the correct answer. Most maids in SG live with their employers, and the employer has to feed them. Maids are typically from developing nations like the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar etc. 600 SGD goes a long way in those countries.
- arp242 6y ago
  SG also doesn't seem that expensive; granted, I was only there for four days, but things like public transport and food was quite cheap. It's just the housing that's really expensive from what I heard.
  - Wintereise 6y ago
    Mostly correct. You can get by quite easily on all fronts aside from housing. Good housing will cost you.
- rv-de 6y ago
  Naturally, this is also required for the master's sexual convenience.
  - exidy 6y ago
    This is a pretty poor take. In order to get a permit to hire an FDW in Singapore, there has to be a demonstrated need, i.e. to care for young children or the elderly.
    - rv-de 6y ago
      so? how is that making anything different? of course, sexual predatory behaviour is rampant among "employers" in such a system.
      - exidy 6y ago
        Singapore is not perfect, of course, but the common problems with FDW working conditions are pretty well-documented. You are just making wild assertions to the benefit of nobody.
        rv-de 6y ago
        https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/singapore-s-domestic-workers-routinely-exploited-and-often-abused-service-rich-nationals-10422589.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/singapore-s-do... https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-15/vile-abuse-singapore-s-domestic-workers https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-15/vile-abuse-singapore-... https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/6-out-of-10-maids-in-singapore-are-exploited-survey-9454694 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/6-out-of-10-m... Oh, really?
        exidy 6y ago
        Your own links literally show that sexual abuse is least common type of FDW abuse documented in Singapore. And not by a small margin either. Yet it's what you chose to lead with.
exidy 6y ago
FDWs in Singapore are usually live-in, the employer is required to provide appropriate living arrangements, food, medical care and insurance. Most FDWs will remit most of their salary to their home country, where SGD$600 will go a long way. Singapore is an orderly country and there is some institutional support to safeguard the working conditions of FDWs. However there is a power imbalance between employee and employer, and the FDW may not know her rights, or it may not be in her short-term interest to assert them. Additionally, many FDWs are employed through agencies who will usually prioritise fee-collection over FDW welfare.
- ezoe 6y ago
  It sounds like slavery to me.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - nicolas_t 6y ago
    It's much worse in neighboring countries like Malaysia. There maids are usually not allowed to leave the house unaccompanied because of the strict immigration laws that would punish heavily the family if the maid ran away. Between that and the poor living conditions, it's indentured servitude for the time of their contracts. Absolutely awful. HK is doing much better and has stronger laws to protect domestic workers (actual day off, etc...), Singapore is catching up but in other countries it's extremely sad.
  - exidy 6y ago
    I don't think that's an appropriate term for Singapore, at least. The FDW can resign at any time (whether their contract is finished or not), in which case the employer is obligated to return them to their home city. There is a mandated 1 rest day per week. (note for Westerners accustomed to a 2-day weekend: this is identical to working-class Singaporeans.) The legal system can and does prosecute cases of abuse against FDWs. Generally speaking FDWs are pleased to have the opportunity to work in Singapore as it is 2-3 times what they could earn at home, but they do hope for a "kindly" employer. Other countries do not have such a good reputation. Philippines actually banned Saudi Arabia from hiring domestic OFWs because of cases of indentured servitude, abuse and murder.

Did she get accommodation too?

While I don't know the specifics here, my understanding from being there a few years ago was that most lower-income workers in Singapore commute in from Malaysia.

AmericanChopper 6y ago
Most of them live in migrant dormitories, or usually with the case of maids, accomodation provided by their employer. Some apartments will have “maids quarters”, which will be a seperate room with its own entrance/exit. But that’s not terribly common in Singapore. Typically they’d just have their own bedroom.
- nicolas_t 6y ago
  And often enough the maid bedroom has no windows and is sometimes placed next to the kitchen.

Wintereise 6y ago

Most maids in SG are live-in, so her food (typically quite shitty food, but food nonetheless) and accommodation are covered.

SRTP 6y ago
This is the correct answer. Most maids in SG live with their employers, and the employer has to feed them. Maids are typically from developing nations like the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar etc. 600 SGD goes a long way in those countries.
arp242 6y ago
SG also doesn't seem that expensive; granted, I was only there for four days, but things like public transport and food was quite cheap. It's just the housing that's really expensive from what I heard.
- Wintereise 6y ago
  Mostly correct. You can get by quite easily on all fronts aside from housing. Good housing will cost you.
rv-de 6y ago
Naturally, this is also required for the master's sexual convenience.
- exidy 6y ago
  This is a pretty poor take. In order to get a permit to hire an FDW in Singapore, there has to be a demonstrated need, i.e. to care for young children or the elderly.
  - rv-de 6y ago
    so? how is that making anything different? of course, sexual predatory behaviour is rampant among "employers" in such a system.
    - exidy 6y ago
      Singapore is not perfect, of course, but the common problems with FDW working conditions are pretty well-documented. You are just making wild assertions to the benefit of nobody.
      - rv-de 6y ago
        https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/singapore-s-domestic-workers-routinely-exploited-and-often-abused-service-rich-nationals-10422589.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/singapore-s-do... https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-15/vile-abuse-singapore-s-domestic-workers https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-15/vile-abuse-singapore-... https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/6-out-of-10-maids-in-singapore-are-exploited-survey-9454694 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/6-out-of-10-m... Oh, really?
        exidy 6y ago
        Your own links literally show that sexual abuse is least common type of FDW abuse documented in Singapore. And not by a small margin either. Yet it's what you chose to lead with.

exidy 6y ago

FDWs in Singapore are usually live-in, the employer is required to provide appropriate living arrangements, food, medical care and insurance. Most FDWs will remit most of their salary to their home country, where SGD$600 will go a long way. Singapore is an orderly country and there is some institutional support to safeguard the working conditions of FDWs. However there is a power imbalance between employee and employer, and the FDW may not know her rights, or it may not be in her short-term interest to assert them. Additionally, many FDWs are employed through agencies who will usually prioritise fee-collection over FDW welfare.

ezoe 6y ago
It sounds like slavery to me.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- nicolas_t 6y ago
  It's much worse in neighboring countries like Malaysia. There maids are usually not allowed to leave the house unaccompanied because of the strict immigration laws that would punish heavily the family if the maid ran away. Between that and the poor living conditions, it's indentured servitude for the time of their contracts. Absolutely awful. HK is doing much better and has stronger laws to protect domestic workers (actual day off, etc...), Singapore is catching up but in other countries it's extremely sad.
- exidy 6y ago
  I don't think that's an appropriate term for Singapore, at least. The FDW can resign at any time (whether their contract is finished or not), in which case the employer is obligated to return them to their home city. There is a mandated 1 rest day per week. (note for Westerners accustomed to a 2-day weekend: this is identical to working-class Singaporeans.) The legal system can and does prosecute cases of abuse against FDWs. Generally speaking FDWs are pleased to have the opportunity to work in Singapore as it is 2-3 times what they could earn at home, but they do hope for a "kindly" employer. Other countries do not have such a good reputation. Philippines actually banned Saudi Arabia from hiring domestic OFWs because of cases of indentured servitude, abuse and murder.