【国会发言】持WP准证被解雇了？新加坡人力部每年解决约2000个此类问题

以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：

徐锦莉（官委议员）询问人力部长：

(a) 自2021年以来，有多少外籍劳工（MWs）因突然失业向人力部寻求帮助？

(b) 其中，有多少比例的外籍劳工欠外国招聘中介费用？

(c) 人力部为这些外籍劳工提供了哪些帮助？

(d) 将推出哪些跨国措施以保护外籍劳工免受过高招聘费用的影响？

(e) 将引入哪些保障措施以确保雇用外籍劳工的企业是负责任的雇主且财务状况良好？‍

陈诗龙医生（人力部长）：每年约有2,000名工作准证持有者（WPHs）因解雇相关问题向人力部（MOM）寻求帮助。根据每个案件的具体情况，人力部会建议并协助工人提出薪资索赔或不当解雇索赔。拥有有效薪资索赔或正在协助调查的工作准证持有者在此期间可以在新加坡找到另一份工作，并且不会被遣返。人力部不追踪被解雇的工作准证持有者是否欠外国招聘中介费用。

为保障工人的利益，人力部对新加坡的就业中介活动进行监管。这包括设定中介可以向工人收取的招聘费用上限。然而，新加坡没有法律管辖权来影响工作准证持有者在其本国产生的招聘费用，这部分费用构成了工作准证持有者承担的大部分招聘费用。为此，人力部与行业合作，探索直接推广和推荐计划等措施，以减少工人通过外国招聘中介或中间人寻找新加坡工作的需求。

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为确保工作准证持有者的雇主负责任地管理其外籍人力，《雇佣法》和《外国人力雇佣法》规定了雇主的义务，例如确保及时支付工资，以及未遵守规定的处罚措施。

以下是英文质询内容：

Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Manpower (a) since 2021, how many migrant workers (MWs) have approached the Ministry for help due to sudden job loss; (b) of which, what percentage of MWs have owed fees to foreign recruiters; (c) what help has the Ministry extended to such MWs; (d) what transnational measures will be introduced to protect MWs against excessive recruitment fees; and (e) what safeguards will be introduced to ensure businesses hiring MWs are responsible employers and are financially sound.

Dr Tan See Leng: Around 2,000 Work Permit holders (WPHs) approach the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for assistance annually on issues related to dismissal. Depending on the circumstances of each case, MOM will advise and assist the worker to file salary or wrongful dismissal claims. WPHs with valid salary claims or who are assisting with investigations may also obtain another job in Singapore in the meantime and will not be repatriated. MOM does not track if dismissed WPHs owe fees to foreign recruiters.

To safeguard the interests of workers, MOM regulates employment agency activities in Singapore. This includes setting limits on the amount of recruitment fees that agents can collect from workers. However, Singapore does not have legal jurisdiction to influence the recruitment fees incurred in the WPHs’ home countries, which form the bulk of the recruitment fees borne by WPHs. Instead, MOM works with the industry to explore measures, such as direct outreach and referral programmes, to reduce the need for workers to approach foreign recruiters or middlemen to find jobs in Singapore.

To ensure employers of WPHs manage their foreign workforce responsibly, the Employment Act and Employment of Foreign Manpower Act prescribe the obligations of employers, such as ensuring prompt payment of salaries, as well as the penalties for failure to comply.

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