NTUC Women and Family holds event to foster mutual trust among migrant domestic workers and employers

Caregivers who have work responsibilities naturally seek peace of mind.

It is crucial for caregivers who employ a migrant domestic worker (MDW) to trust their MDWs fully.

Caregivers and MDWs can build mutual trust and respect by fostering a healthy and harmonious relationship.

When caregivers trust their domestic workers to provide quality care, they can work without worrying about their loved ones’ welfare.

A meaningful bonding event

To strengthen the MDW-employer relationship, NTUC Women and Family (U WAF) organised Getting To-Gather! on 21 January 2024 at Orchard Central to enable MDWs and employers to bond over fun and meaningful shared experiences and activities.

NTUC U WAF teamed up with the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE), Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore), and People’s Action Party (PAP) Women’s Wing to hold the event.

Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann graced the occasion as guest of honour alongside NTUC U WAF Director Yeo Wan Ling, NTUC Migrant Workers Segment Acting Director Michael Lim and other partner representatives. 

One exciting highlight was the fashion jamboree, which saw MDWs pick their favourite items from over 2,000 pieces of pre-loved clothing curated by PAP Women’s Wing volunteers. Other activities included mental wellness talks, and language, music, and art classes.

“Many households have items they would like to give away, but they might not have time to look into how to give and whom they should give to.

“By taking care of the collection, the PAP Women’s Wing helps households give meaningfully while also forging a win-win partnership with NTUC and CDE in support of migrant domestic workers, who are an important part of Singapore’s caregiving ecosystem,” said Ms Sim, who is also PAP Women’s Wing’s Chairman.

Ms Yeo, also NTUC Assistant Secretary-General, reiterated the importance of building mutual trust and respect among MDWs and their employers so caregivers can return to work.

“Getting To-Gather! is part of a holistic approach to strengthening Singapore’s caregiver ecosystem so that employers with caregiving responsibilities can return to the workforce.

“This event aims to equip migrant domestic workers and employers with the resources and skills to build trust, respect, and empathy so that employers will be able to entrust the care of their loved ones to their migrant domestic workers and fulfil work responsibilities with peace of mind,” she said.

Mr Lim added that such MDW-employer bonding events help MDWs to integrate into Singapore more effectively.

Other initiatives to support caregivers

As the champion for workers, NTUC has also been working on other ways to improve the welfare of caregivers in the workforce.

Over the years, Labour Members of Parliament, including Ms Yeo, have advocated flexible work arrangements (FWA) in parliament and beyond.

Through their efforts, workers can look forward to the upcoming Tripartite Guidelines on FWA, which will likely be introduced in 2024 to make it easier for caregivers to request FWA.

NTUC has also proactively worked with external partners to make FWA more pervasive in the workplace.

One example is the C U Back at Work! programme in partnership with an environmental cleaning firm that offers caregivers high-paying jobs of up to $3,000 with FWA.

Caregivers can choose their preferred working hours and workdays if they clock 44 hours weekly. Once they complete eight weeks of paid flexible training, they will form part of the firm’s new elite workforce and enjoy clear career progression pathways.

Visit NTUC U Women and Family to learn more about their programmes and initiatives.