[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – About 10,600 migrant workers residing in factory-converted dormitories will be the first batch to obtain care packages containing masks, hand sanitizer, soap and laundry bars, as the Migrant Workers Center (MWC) intensifies its efforts. to focus on the workers in such dorms
Compared to specially designed dormitories, these factory-converted dormitories may lack the resources to implement adequate precautionary measures, the MWC and the National Congress of Trade Unions (NTUC) said in a joint statement on Saturday (April 18).
“Given their most pressing needs, MWC will direct resources and assistance to migrant workers in factory-converted dormitories first, prioritizing those dormitories where confirmed cases of Covid-19 may arise.”
The non-governmental organization will focus its efforts on assisting affected migrant workers residing in the smaller migrant worker housing facilities and dormitories converted to factories, while continuing to assist the Government in the specially designed larger dormitories.
There are more than 1,100 factory-converted dormitories and other smaller migrant worker housing facilities in Singapore that house a total of approximately 120,000 migrant workers.
Since the breaker was announced, all dormitories have been subjected to stricter movement controls, and MWC has initiated initiatives aimed at protecting migrant workers who may not be able to go out and buy essential items during this period.
These efforts include distributing reusable masks, hand sanitizer, as well as bars of soap for bath and clothing.
Working with the Singapore Dorm Association and the Ministry of Human Resources, MWC has distributed 370,000 reusable masks to all migrant dormitory workers across Singapore, the center and NTUC said in the statement.
In its latest efforts to help migrant workers in factory-turned dormitories, the center will distribute essential supplies in care packages to these workers in the coming weeks.
At the MWC Recreation Center on Saturday morning, 43 factory-converted dorm operators received care packages that will go to about 10,600 migrant worker residents.
Each care package contains a reusable mask, two disposable masks, a 500ml hand sanitizer bottle, a bar of bath soap, and a bar of laundry soap.
MWC is also working to obtain additional toiletries, such as shaving kits and oral hygiene for workers.
Among those who helped distribute the first batch of care packages on Saturday was NTUC Secretary General Ng Chee Meng.
He thanked migrant workers, volunteers who are helping to provide assistance, and dormitory operators, and assured the operators that MWC will help them care for migrant workers.
On the sidelines of his visit to the MWC Recreation Center, Mr. Ng told reporters that government agencies and MWC are intensifying various measures in the larger dormitories, where there is further spread of the coronavirus.
“Today’s effort to deliver a care package to the factory-converted dorms is to take one more step to encourage and care for our foreign workers in those dorms.”
He added: “We want to make sure that they can maintain their personal hygiene while government agencies are pushing various measures to ensure that they stay safe on the ground, be it food or proper separation. For these things, we are coordinating with MWC to work with the government to get the best service and help for migrant workers. “
In efforts to prepare care packages, MWC has partnered with the Temasek Foundation to distribute 500 ml bottles of hand sanitizer. More than 300 NTUC volunteers, NTUC affiliated unions and associations, as well as corporate volunteer Harry’s Singapore helped mix, bottle and pack more than 60,000 bottles of hand sanitizer.
The exercise will continue until there are enough for each migrant worker in the factory-converted dormitories to have his own bottle, the MWC and NTUC said in their statement.
They added that MWC has also managed to acquire bath soaps and laundry bars to be included in care packages, with in-kind contributions from the public and donations to the Migrants We Care fundraising campaign, which has raised more than $ 892,000 early Saturday afternoon.
MWC and NTUC added that the center has increased its assistance to the migrant community with the help of MWC’s Base Network, which comprises some 5,000 base ambassadors who are migrant workers.
Measures to help migrant workers include educating them on Covid-19 and the precautionary measures they can take, find and place stranded Malaysian work permit holders in temporary housing, distributing essential supplies such as masks, hand sanitizers and items toilet, and raise funds to help affected migrants. workers
With the current circuit breaker measures, MWC has also supported the interagency working group to provide support to migrant workers and dormitory operators.
“Leveraging MWC’s Core Network, which has ambassadors in all specially designed large bedrooms, MWC has been able to provide timely feedback to the task force so that issues and problems can be rectified quickly,” MWC and NTUC said in the statement. .
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Human Resources Minister Josephine Teo stressed the importance of coordinating the efforts of non-governmental organizations to help migrant workers amid the pandemic.
He said the government is looking more closely at collaboration with these organizations to ensure the welfare of foreign workers and that it has been working closely with MWC in recent weeks to reach out and support workers.
It has also started to reach out to other NGOs such as Itsrainingraincoats, Alliance of General Workers, Geylang Adventures and HealthServe.
Ms. Teo wrote: “We recognize the potential contributions of non-governmental organizations and deeply appreciate their cooperation. However, we are aware that it is essential that these efforts be coordinated in an orderly manner.”
He added that uncoordinated actions jeopardize the integrity of operations on the ground and can result in a waste of resources, such as perishable food that is not distributed on time to workers.
“There is also a need to protect the health and safety of these volunteers,” he said, urging all stakeholders to be patient and understand working through the interagency working group to meet specific needs.
Additional reporting by Timothy David
[ad_2]
