Factories used as ‘secret’ dorms for 1,000 FTs

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Factories in the day, dormitories at night – this is what is happening to 8 blocks of factory buildings in Tampines Industrial Park.

According to media reports, the 8 blocks of factory buildings in Tampines Industrial Park A house motor vehicle workshops, furniture shops and warehouses in the day. When night falls and the shops close, they remain bustling with life and transforms into a large-scale illegal foreign worker dormitory, housing some 1,000 foreign workers.

The majority of these foreign workers are employees in the construction, manufacturing and electronics industries.

Everyday a large number of lorries are driven to these factories to pick up and drop off the foreign workers at their workplace. Food packets specifically catered for the workers are left on the ground floor of each building twice a day for the workers to collect.

It is known that the factory units are owned by the foreign workers’ companies, although some are rented out to other companies.

An unnamed director from a construction company that owns a warehouse at the factory building said, “There are a lot (dormitories) here. During their off day on Sunday, you can come and see for yourself.”

He claimed that the foreign workers have their own dormitories, but choose to stay in the factory units.

Even though he knows that it is an offence to allow foreign workers to live in the factory units, he defended the companies’ action. “The costs of employing foreign workers have gone up substantially, we are not a big company. If there is no complaint, why stop?”

There are a lot of occupants in the factory units, with clothes and shoes all over the place. Foreign workers cook inside the units.

An Indian national who was interviewed by the media said that it is better to live in a factory unit than a foreign worker dorm. “There is more freedom here, no restriction on access, and can cook whatever I like. Transport is also provided both ways,” he said. However, he does not know that it is illegal, as it was arranged by his employer.

In an interview with the New Paper, a factory worker said it is an open secret among the factory tenants, as the foreign workers have been living there for quite a while. Most of them do not wish to “blow the whistle” to maintain the cordial relationship among themselves.

Nonetheless, a security officer working nearby could not bear the situation any longer and tipped off the New Paper. He claimed that one unit accommodated more than 40 foreign workers. The living conditions of the “factory dorms” are deplorable. Rats and mosquitoes are a common sight.

The said factory blocks are managed by HDB. In response to media queries, HDB said, “We are investigating the alleged misuse of industrial premise at Tampines Industrial Park A. Appropriate actions will be taken if there is evidence to substantiate.”

According to HDB’s website, some large factory units can be partitioned and used to house foreign workers. However, it needs to fulfill the safety, hygiene and environmental requirements.

Also, it is mandatory for employers to provide acceptable accommodation for foreign workers and register their address with the Ministry of Manpower. Employers who fail to ensure that their foreign workers have acceptable accommodation or fail to register or update their foreign worker addresses within 5 days, can be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. Upon conviction, employers can be fined a maximum of $10,000, imprisoned up to a year or both:

http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpow...uirements.aspx

The last couple of weeks, multiple cases of excess or illegal occupancy of foreign workers have been uncovered. It simply shows how rampant the problem is. Owners and employers are blatantly disregarding the law governing the subletting of residential units and foreign worker dormitories.

Now you know why FTs are cheaper

A TRE reader wrote in to say that it is now clear why FTs are cheaper to hire than Singaporeans.

“The reason why FTs are cheaper is because they break rules and pay very low rentals. They live in inhumane conditions,” he said.

The reader also feels that tenants living in illegal housing should be published by the law too.

“It is only fair that the one who breaks the rules knowingly should face the punishment (too),” he said.

“When they find that they cannot afford to pay the rent according to the law, they will naturally demand an increase in wages. This will naturally make locals more attractive to hire than FTs.”

The reader said this should be made an election issue.

“Spread this (news) to everyone you know… if you are willing to educate everyone around you, 6.9M policy will be defeated. Your future will be secure,” he added.

Do you agree with the reader?

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/12/28...-for-1000-fts/


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