MOM investigating case where maid was seen cleaning roof of Bukit Timah house
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The incident surfaced online on Aug 31 when another maid posted photos and a video of her friend clinging to the roof while cleaning it.
PHOTO: COMPLAINT SINGAPORE/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating an incident where a domestic worker was seen cleaning the roof of a house with a broom in Bukit Timah.
The incident surfaced on the Complaint Singapore Facebook page on Aug 31 when another maid, who wanted to be known only as Geraldine, posted photos and a video of her friend clinging to the roof while cleaning it.
When asked by The Straits Times, an MOM spokesman confirmed that the ministry was investigating the case, and said it “takes a serious view of employers who fail to provide safe working conditions for migrant domestic workers”.
Ms Geraldine said she and the maid in the video became friends when they were living at the same condominium between 2017 and 2018 while working for different employers.
Explaining why she shared the incident on social media, the 35-year-old told ST that she could not turn a blind eye and “pretend that it was a normal work routine for us to do that kind of work”.
Ms Geraldine, who witnessed and filmed the incident at about 11am on Aug 31, said her friend had been instructed by her current employer to sweep the roof.
She said that with the help of the authorities, her friend was in a shelter.
The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) confirmed that it contacted the informant immediately on the same day the incident happened and reported it to the ministry.
“The CDE stands ready to provide further assistance to the migrant domestic worker if required,” it said.
A spokesman for the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics told ST that about one in five domestic workers who seek help from the organisation indicates that she has been asked to do some form of dangerous work.
Examples of dangerous work include climbing a ladder to clean high shelves or fans with no supervision, she added.
“Underpinning any work that is given to domestic workers should be the principle that they are deserving of respect and dignity, and should not be made to perform tasks that compromise their safety,” she said.
She added that precautions should be taken if precarious work has to be carried out.
The MOM spokesman said employers who are found guilty of asking migrant domestic workers to perform tasks that pose a risk to their safety can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both.
Migrant domestic workers can report any employment difficulties or issues to MOM on 1800-339-5505.
They can also call the 24-hour helplines operated by CDE on 1800-2255-233 and the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training on 1800-339-4357.
