4 ms·

> live in maids to help with chore > The employer keeps their passports > They get paid around 400-600 SGD (250-400 USD) That sounds like modern slavery.

goldforever 6y ago
It is exactly that!
manquer 6y ago
It is not just singapore . It is common in many parts of the world like middle east. Economic Slavery has always been there and is still there. There are plenty of jobs which people don't want to do unless they are poor. Either countries kept parts of the population always poor or imported from poor countries. Like mexicans in america. Exploiting the working class is a feature of modern variants of capitalism. Legal slavery is the only thing that got abolished. P.S. on a seperate note and no means a defense of this, the salary is slightly misleading as it usually includes stay and food.
- throwawaysgx 6y ago
  I edited my comment to make it clearer.
- mirekrusin 6y ago
  Brazil as well, ie. many appartments have dedicated toilet/facilities built-in for empregadas who live sunny part of the day in the house cleaning/cooking etc.
- danmaz74 6y ago
  Low paying jobs are a problem, but nowhere near as terrible as actual slavery - where you don't have the right to defend yourself from physical abuse, the right to move to a different place, etc. What sounds particularly indicting in the described situation though is employers keeping the employees' passports. Things like this can make someone's situation more similar to a slave's.
  - manquer 6y ago
    You may have the right today. But when your employer withholds your passport and abuses you, or the work conditions are so bad thousands die before a project is complete[1], you have very minimal if any rights in that country especially against citizens. I am not sure there is all that much difference. [1] sic qatar world cup
- fyfy18 6y ago
  > Economic Slavery [...] Its not quite so simple though. By that definition migrants from Eastern Europe working farm jobs in Western Europe are economic slaves, but their conditions are much better than these maids and they can go home anytime without repurcusions.
baybal2 6y ago
> That sounds like modern slavery. During his lieutenant-governorship, Raffles placed some restrictions on the local slave trade in line with wider British policy across its Asian territories, although slavery remained widespread and Raffles himself was served by a large retinue of slaves at his official residences in Java. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Raffles https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Raffles
rasz 6y ago
slave market with apps to browse the merchandise https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50228549 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50228549

goldforever 6y ago

It is exactly that!

manquer 6y ago

It is not just singapore . It is common in many parts of the world like middle east. Economic Slavery has always been there and is still there. There are plenty of jobs which people don't want to do unless they are poor. Either countries kept parts of the population always poor or imported from poor countries. Like mexicans in america. Exploiting the working class is a feature of modern variants of capitalism. Legal slavery is the only thing that got abolished. P.S. on a seperate note and no means a defense of this, the salary is slightly misleading as it usually includes stay and food.

throwawaysgx 6y ago
I edited my comment to make it clearer.
mirekrusin 6y ago
Brazil as well, ie. many appartments have dedicated toilet/facilities built-in for empregadas who live sunny part of the day in the house cleaning/cooking etc.
danmaz74 6y ago
Low paying jobs are a problem, but nowhere near as terrible as actual slavery - where you don't have the right to defend yourself from physical abuse, the right to move to a different place, etc. What sounds particularly indicting in the described situation though is employers keeping the employees' passports. Things like this can make someone's situation more similar to a slave's.
- manquer 6y ago
  You may have the right today. But when your employer withholds your passport and abuses you, or the work conditions are so bad thousands die before a project is complete[1], you have very minimal if any rights in that country especially against citizens. I am not sure there is all that much difference. [1] sic qatar world cup
fyfy18 6y ago
> Economic Slavery [...] Its not quite so simple though. By that definition migrants from Eastern Europe working farm jobs in Western Europe are economic slaves, but their conditions are much better than these maids and they can go home anytime without repurcusions.

baybal2 6y ago

> That sounds like modern slavery. During his lieutenant-governorship, Raffles placed some restrictions on the local slave trade in line with wider British policy across its Asian territories, although slavery remained widespread and Raffles himself was served by a large retinue of slaves at his official residences in Java. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Raffles https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Raffles

rasz 6y ago

slave market with apps to browse the merchandise https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50228549 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50228549