Maroc - NEWSDELIVERS.COM - A La Une - 12/Sep 12:09

Pope in Singapore Calls for Fair Wages for Migrant Workers

Pope Francis on Thursday (12/9) urged political leaders of Singapore, a leading global financial hub, to provide fair wages for the country's more than one million low-paid migrant workers. In the final speech of an ambitious 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, Pope Francis, 87, highlighted his concern for Singapore's rapidly aging population and its large migrant workforce in the construction and domestic service industries. “I hope that special attention will be paid to the poor and the elderly … and to protecting the dignity of migrant workers,” the pope said, in his address to about 1,000 politicians and civil and religious leaders. “These workers make a huge contribution to society and should be paid fairly,” he said. People wait at the Singapore SportsHub National Stadium where the pope will lead mass in Singapore, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo) According to government data, as of December 2023, there were 1.1 million foreigners with work permits in Singapore earning less than S$3,000 or around Rp35.5 million per month. This figure includes 286,300 domestic workers and 441,100 workers in the construction, shipbuilding and manufacturing sectors. Many migrant workers come from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, China, Bangladesh and India, as …