Human Rights Watch’s report on inadequate labor protections for migrant domestic workers in Singapore set off an explosive round of press coverage in the national media. Two weeks after the report release, the government announced changes to Singapore’s Employment Agency Act. Under the new provisions, the government’s labor ministry can impose fines on abusive labor agencies, and can prosecute an agency if it continues to operate once its license has been revoked.
Our report, released in Singapore in December 2005, documented grave abuses against women domestic workers, including confinement in the workplace, death from unsafe working conditions, food deprivation, and physical and sexual violence. Domestic workers in Singapore routinely work for 6-8 months without any salary to repay excessive labor agency fees, and are excluded from the country’s main labor laws. Human Rights Watch applauded the government’s initial steps to improve the Employment Agency Act, but continues to advocate for the regulation of charges imposed by labor agencies, greater freedom of movement for domestic workers, and standard labor protections, such as a minimum wage, one weekly rest day, and paid annual leave.
