Most dormitory residents have been paid their salaries: MOM

Most of the migrant workers staying in dormitories have been paid their salaries during the circuit breaker period that began last month, even though many had to stop work because only essential services are allowed to operate.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) noted yesterday that about 3 per cent - or about 300 - of the 8,500 employers who have submitted declarations have indicated that they owed salaries to staff.

"MOM is... engaging these employers to ensure that they eventually make payments to the workers," it said, adding that seven employers are reportedly in financial difficulties and may not be able to pay workers.

The Migrant Workers' Centre's Migrant Workers' Assistance Fund will step in to provide relief for these men, the MOM added.

There are 66,000 employers here who hire work permit or S-pass holders, with some of them having staff affected by movement restrictions.

Workers at all the dorms have not been allowed to leave their premises since last Tuesday as part of tighter circuit breaker measures.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said yesterday that "a good number" of the 66,000 employers were interacting with their workers on a regular basis, including making sure that their salaries were paid.

Referring to the portion of employers who had workers who were affected, she told a virtual briefing: "That is the group of workers we are concerned about and want to make sure that they continue to be able to receive their salaries, and the way to do so is to require that the employers pay these workers electronically."

The ministry has made it a requirement for employers to pay salaries electronically and more are now doing so.

The number of workers with bank accounts increased from 472,000 before the circuit breaker period began on April 7 to 521,000 now, the MOM said.

Mrs Teo noted that the Government has announced rebates of past levies paid for each migrant worker. Two months of levies have also been waived, she said.

"So this is to ensure that the employers have the resources to fulfil their obligations to their employees, for their workers in terms of salary and upkeep... Now, so if you then look at the numbers in context, it's a very small group and we are following up with them very promptly.

"So that's an ongoing work and we will continue to support both the employers and the workers to ensure that this aspect of the needs are well taken care of."