I Forsaw this Trend...
-
Maids leaving S'pore for higher pay elsewhere 
THE competition among countries for maids is getting hotter, and Singapore may be losing out.
A Straits Times check with agencies revealed that maids from countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines now prefer to work in places like Hong Kong and Taiwan for the higher pay and a compulsory weekly day-off there.
Singapore's mandatory English multiple- choice entry test on hygiene and housework and a rule that maids must be at least 23 years old also turn some away.
The 20 agencies surveyed said the reduced inflow, especially of Indonesian maids, has led to suppliers charging up to $2,000 a maid, up from about $1,000 a year ago.
The manager of a maid agency in Far East Plaza said: 'Sometimes, we can get only about five a month and the supplier charges about $1,600 per maid.'
Indonesian and Sri Lankan maids are paid $280 a month and Filipinas, $300 to $350. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, maids earn about $690 and $750 respectively.
There are currently about 170,000 foreign maids here, mostly from the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
The higher pay overseas is making some maids working here jump ship. Take the case of Filipino maid Licia Magallon, 31, whose contract here ends in three months.
'I'll go to Hong Kong. There the pay is double and I get time off every week and also on public holidays,' said Ms Magallon, who has been here for 20 months and earns about $320 a month.
Singapore's lower wage has also led to a shortage of experienced maids. Director of Swift Arrows Maid Peter Loh said most maids who come here are first-timers.
'They use Singapore as a stepping stone before going to Hong Kong and Taiwan. They also try to pick up some Chinese here to aid them in future,' he noted.
His agency has also seen up to a 30 per cent drop in the number of Indonesian maids coming here since last year.
To cope with the shortage, agencies are now hiring maids from Myanmar. They are paid $320.
For Mr Loh, up to 30 per cent of his maids are now from that country. For Ms C. Chua, director of a maid agency in Lucky Plaza, the figure is 15 per cent.
Despite the lower pay, agencies say Singapore's strict policy against maid abuse remains an attraction.
-
so what's your point?? Singapore ill-treats maids for its citizens??
Singapore is so cheap that it is unwilling to pay high wages for maids??
-
Originally posted by pigsticker:
so what's your point?? Singapore ill-treats maids for its citizens??
Singapore is so cheap that it is unwilling to pay high wages for maids??
... Singapore's economy is no longer attractive...... hmmm.. I wonder why..?
-
... and then soon, the PRCs will find it not feasible to find employment here too, even the well heeled AngMoh expats are feeling the pinch of high living costs and a run away inflation index...
... mismanagement of economy...
-
... typical that when articles like this is posted, those lackeys are nowhere in sight...
-
i talked to many filipino maids before
they have to work in SG for 2 years before they can request to go other countries like spain... germany...
there higher pay and more holidays...
but they oso have to pay the agent a big sum of money for them to apply to go those places. -
wow.
the pay is.. atrocious.
�牛�马 dun say.
1st one to wake up last one to sleep leh.
only <400. =\
-
... well even foreign workers are finding salaries too low now...
... guess our all wise government is waiting for everything to hit rock bottom and declare another Innocent Mistake or Complacency Ruling... and then it's Lets Move On again...
LOL... move on alright, they will be moving on right out as so called 'government' ...
-
i think me maid is bery 幸� oredi
ä½ çˆ¸æˆ‘ have to be at home to open door for her
me mom cook wat she oso got a share... even my scallop/abalone porridge
she hooked in the ch 8's 9pm show
yday i just gave her one of my blouses
but i think she wake up too early and make too much noise when cleaning my room (me still sleeping) =p -
even maid fleeing to other country , u think FT will stay?
-
eh.. can forsaw this week Toto for me... more impt leh...
-
Should have treated them well when they were working.
-
i am always by how singaporeans can view their maids as not quite humans on the same level as say...their colleagues or friends. they might think they are paying them well compared to the wages in their home country and are well fed....but not many actually put themselves in the maids shoes and consider them as humans just like themselves.
$280 work with no off is basically slave labor, the proof is that no singaporean (or malaysian) would settle for a job with such conditions.
-
well, why don't you guys pay them more than?? wouldn't it solve the problem if u did??
-
Originally posted by pigsticker:
well, why don't you guys pay them more than?? wouldn't it solve the problem if u did??
... problem is, young people these days, wants to move out and live on their own once married... on top of it, they not all that well off and YET, wants a maid...... like that, how to pay them more? The bad habits of Singaporeans I must agree on, is they wanna pay peanuts for a whole lot of work in return...
-
My maid also say work in HK is better. Every sunday off, high pay some more.
-
HK & Taiwan pay > $$ than Sg for evrybody not only maid. They also got more leave & benefit than us. Can't compare cos ppl std of living are also higher LOL
So if want ppl in Sg to pay the maid more $, then S'porean also must receive more $ from bosses. If not, where got money to pay them.....
BUT to think abt it, S'porean also paid quitehigh lol to hire a maid cos got govt levy to pay ea mth. Not sure whether HK/Taiwan have it or not.
-
Originally posted by Yo Yo:
HK & Taiwan pay > $$ than Sg for evrybody not only maid. They also got more leave & benefit than us. Can't compare cos ppl std of living are also higher LOL
So if want ppl in Sg to pay the maid more $, then S'porean also must receive more $ from bosses. If not, where got money to pay them.....
BUT to think abt it, S'porean also paid quitehigh lol to hire a maid cos got govt levy to pay ea mth. Not sure whether HK/Taiwan have it or not.
... there you have it; you've described the cause of this issue of Maids Leaving SG... -
Aft all everyone work for $$$ in order to survive. Where got good lobang will sure go
-
maids would rather go somewhere else like hk or taiwan because the pay is higher and better life? My aunt's maid in hk was saying how happy she was working in hk than in singapore as hk had better pay, cheaper standard of living, food, shopping (etc..)
i think it's good! Time for singaporeans to learn a lesson and treat their maids well!
-
Originally posted by pigsticker:
well, why don't you guys pay them more than?? wouldn't it solve the problem if u did??
Because it is sooo S'porean to demand the best and yet unwilling to pay for it.
Nothing wrong with maid planning to go to a better place to work. Just as S'porean plans to migrate all the time..... Maids, FT, FW are all the same. Would you not want to leave for a better job if you could find one
