17 nabbed in Bugis sting

From iTODAY:


Esther Ng | 17 Nov, 2011 3:00 PM

SINGAPORE - Barely a year after steamboat restaurant Chuan Yi Pin was fined for having hired nine illegal China nationals, it is suspected of committing the same offence.

When Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers checked the North Bridge Road restaurant yesterday, they found seven China nationals who were believed to be working illegally in the restaurant.

The two-hour raid on 10 food and beverage restaurants in the Bugis area led to 17 suspected illegal foreign workers being rounded up.

Those arrested hardly put up a fight.

Among those busted were five holders of student passes. Two of them were reportedly paid S$300 a month to bus tables. Those on student passes here can work - as long as they are full-time students from an approved list of institutions, such as polytechnics and universities.

There were also cases which involved the misuse of work passes. For example, a foreign domestic worker (FDW) was found washing dishes at a coffeeshop in Liang Seah Street. An FDW has to be employed at her employer's residential address as stated on the latter's identity card.

Between January and last month, the MOM carried out 404 inspections at food and beverage outlets, and found 208 companies infringing work pass conditions. Out of the 406 foreigners arrested during these inspections, 152 were on social visit passes.

Last year, the MOM conducted 655 inspections and found 263 employers who had committed work pass infringements - 70 per cent of the infringements were related to illegal employment and deployment of workers. A total of 382 foreigners were arrested during the inspections, with 161 of them social visit pass holders.

Of the F&B outlets found to have illegally hired workers without valid work passes last year, 54 were issued advisory letters, 132 warned and 46 issued with composition fines amounting to more than S$174,000. Another 51 employers were prosecuted and fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to six months.

The MOM's divisional director of the foreign manpower division, Mr Aw Kum Cheong, said: "The Ministry of Manpower will not condone foreigners and employers who flout our employment laws and regulations.

"Such acts of dishonesty distort the labour market and accord an unfair advantage over employers and workers who play by the rules."

Those with information on illegal employment can call 6438 5122 or email mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg.


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