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Migrant workers living in the community, employers doing their part to curb Covid-19 spread

SINGAPORE — Employers of migrant workers who stay outside of dormitories and within the community said they have been doing what they can to ensure their workers adhere to safe distancing measures.

Migrant workers near a dormitory in Kaki Bukit, in a picture taken on Feb 23, 2020, before the circuit breaker measures kicked in. Those TODAY interviewed said they adhere closely to the rules stipulated by the authorities.

Migrant workers near a dormitory in Kaki Bukit, in a picture taken on Feb 23, 2020, before the circuit breaker measures kicked in. Those TODAY interviewed said they adhere closely to the rules stipulated by the authorities.

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SINGAPORE — Employers of migrant workers who stay outside of dormitories and within the community said they have been doing what they can to ensure their workers adhere to safe distancing measures.

But many of them told TODAY that there is a large element of trust involved as they cannot police their workers when they leave the workplace.

Migrant workers, on the other hand, said they are doing their part — by remaining indoors most of the time.

About 300,000 workers are currently housed in dormitories while 664,000 more in other accommodations such as Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, condominiums and private estates. Aside from low-wage foreign workers, the latter group includes foreign domestic workers as well.

The number of infections involving migrant workers who stay in dormitories has remained high, even passing the 1,000 mark in recent weeks.

In contrast, the number of Covid-19 cases affecting workers who stay outside the dormitories has fluctuated between 33 and four, since April 19. Employers TODAY spoke to attributed the low figures to the measures they have implemented in the workplace.

Apart from conducting temperature checks and providing their employees with masks and hand sanitiser, some are going the extra mile to ensure minimal contact between their workers and the community.

Ms Doris Lim, assistant human resource manager at manufacturing firm MAP Plastics, said the firm provides a bus to shuttle its employees from their accommodation to their workplace in Loyang Lane.

About 80 of their workers stay in HDB estates and private apartments.

Ms Lim said the bus conductor has been tasked to conduct temperature checks at the point of pick up.

Within the company canteen, workers have to sit at least 1m away from each other, she added.

A similar arrangement has been made at technology company Adera Global. Mr Marvin Tan, co-founder and group executive director, said the workers have not been allowed to cross work sites since the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) was raised to orange in February. In the past, these workers would have moved between factories to share resources, said Mr Tan.

Owner of cleaning firm Abba Maintenance Services Peter Peng, who also provides a company vehicle to pick up his employees, said he ensures his employees don full personal protective equipment when they carry out disinfection services.

“So I will say the chance of them getting infected is not as high as those workers in the dormitories. My workers who are staying in their flats also only go out to buy essentials like groceries,” said Mr Peng.

But when it comes to keeping workers safe outside of the workplace, employers told TODAY that there is only so much they can do as it would not be possible to track their movements at all times.

MAP Plastic’s Ms Lim trusts that her workers will behave responsibly. “I think they are pretty careful,” she said. “In fact, our workers had started to wear masks even before the authorities made it mandatory. They are very disciplined and they don’t travel when it’s not necessary.”

Other employers have also stressed to their workers the need to restrict their movements.

Mr Herbert Lim, who is the operations director of cleaning company LS 2 Services, said: “I have already told my workers to only go grocery shopping in the neighbourhood.”

The 32 workers stay in HDB apartments that are near the vicinity of their workplace in Kallang Bahru where there are three markets nearby, said Mr Lim.

Adera’s Mr Tan said the company has weekly briefings for their workers to inform them of new Government-issued advisories and to highlight the penalties for flouting the rules.

MIGRANT WORKERS DOING THEIR PART, TOO

The migrant workers whom TODAY interviewed, even those who are no longer employed, said they adhere closely to the rules stipulated by the authorities.

Hugo (not his real name), who used to work in the construction sector but is currently unemployed, takes precautions of his own accord.

The 32-year-old and his three other roommates take their temperature daily. He also does not leave his place of residence often as migrant workers’ rights group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics delivers groceries to his accommodation.

A housing estate cleaner who gave his name only as Akbar, 31, said he only leaves home to go to work.

The Indian national added that he constantly gets updates from his supervisor on the latest measures rolled out by the Government.

“If my employer doesn’t update us, I will check online for news, so that I know what is going on,” he said.

Similarly, another worker who wants to be known only as Mostafa said he has been largely confined to his condominium in Yio Chu Kang for a month.

Staying with eight other roommates, the 36-year-old said: “Every day is the same. I wake up to see my friends, then we cook and break fast together, then go to sleep.

“I hope we get to go out soon.”

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