What FDWs deserve by Dorcas

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Singapore: The land of opportunities.

This holds especially true for our foreign domestic workers, or for short, FDWs who have been drawn here in hopes of a better future.

But just how much are those dreams priced at?

The recent strew of sensational abuse cases covered by the media has seen them being poured on by boiling water, forced to touch a hot oven rack, hit by the back of a chopper or gruesomely having their nipple bitten off. Many others even end up paying with their lives.

Even when spared from physical cruelty, the FDWs must also pay an emotional price – the price of separation, especially for the close-knitted Philippine families. The FDWs usually undertake their jobs in order to break free from poverty to give their loved ones a better future.

And so they slog their guts out in Singapore, where poor working conditions prevail. No rest days, irregular and often demanding work hours in addition to low and unequal wages. In a country where the minimum pay is $4.50 per hour, they receive only a fifth of that: 83 cents per hour.

Still, endurance and perseverance do not promise a dream come true. According to the “Life for Rent” conference, these self-sacrificing individuals often return to a broken home, where their husbands become estranged and their kids gone astray without the much-needed parental care and guidance.

Yet, in spite of all these uncertainties and risks, they arrive at our doorstep - to help. Sadly, we exploit their desperation. Yes, I’m referring to how some of us treat them far worse than we would act towards a stranger.

Although its’ understandable if we don’t treat them as family – after all; it is purely an employer-employee relation, the lack the decency to give them a basic level of respect is inexcusable. The fine line between control and removing their rights is crossed ever so conveniently.

One such example is how some employers fix spy cameras in the house to track the FDW’s every movement. A clear invasion of personal privacy, such an extreme measure underlines the high levels of disrespect and distrust employers have for FDWs.

Mr. Lee defends his action:
“Why? Cannot trust her lah. My old maid wake up in the middle of the night to steal money from my waist pouch. I install spy camera then got evidence, but my wife say so troublesome to fire her…so now better safe than sorry.”

Gossip is also equally potent in spreading distrust.

Ms. Chin explains:
“I mean if you think about it, Singaporeans love to complain. Anything that happens to them, good or bad, they will keep harping and whining over weeks and months. So the same horror stories are retold over and over again. I spread to 10, 10 spread to 100, 100 spread to 1000. It naturally attributes a negative stigma to the FDWs.”

Well, be it a personal experience or simply hearsay; both have illustrated the case of “one bad apple spoils the whole barrel”. Employers are not entirely at fault here since the minorities of errant workers have reinforced negative stereotypes of fellow migrant workers.

However, this pandemic-like effect also quickly masks the hard work of those genuinely here to offer their services.

Siti, who works for a family in Eastern part of Singapore, shares her sentiments:
“I know why mum always check on me. Some of my friends bring boyfriend home. I tell them don’t like that but they angry with me. I feel sad [because when] I do good, nobody say good. They do bad, everyone say is bad.”

Put yourself in her shoes. How is it fair for you to be judged constantly on the acts of another?

Singapore, it is time to break the vicious cycles that perpetuate distrust and disrespect. Time to put down our prejudice and discrimination. Time to be objective.

In FDWs and employers alike, we cannot filter out the black sheep. But that doesn’t mean that we can justify our actions as precautions.

Do we stop being kind just because it does not necessarily beget kindness?

There are no guarantees but one thing’s for sure: The journey of a thousand miles starts with but one small step. It doesn’t take much effort to give the FDW a basic level of respect, some trust and a bit of leeway, but it can do wonders for the employer-employee relationship. If the FDW senses that you do not have faith in her work ethic, chances are she would not serve you wholeheartedly either.

And so, I part you with this maxim, “ Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Practise only behaviours you will stand for.

This has been Dorcas Ng on what FDWs deserve.