At least for the MIWs,


3-5% for me… knn

They should get more pay cos they are doing a good job, if not we will be working as maids overseas..

Mabbe that’s not so bad, according to Mr Wang Says So

Let’s take a moment to think about the earning power of (1) Singapore’s poorer citizens and (2) Singapore’s foreign maids.

Let’s say Madam Jin Pai Mia is a 55-year-old spinster belonging to the Low-Income Singaporean category. She works as a cleaner in a commercial office building and earns $900 a month.

Madam Jin takes the MRT to and from work every day. That’s about $1.50 x 2 x 24 days = $72 a month. She pays about $60 for her water and electricity bills at home. She eats three meals a day, each costing an average of $3.00. That’s $3.00 x 3 meals x 30 days = $270 a month on food. Let’s say Madam Jin falls sick once in a while and needs to see the doctor. We’ll put it at $20 a month. She rents a flat from the HDB. Let’s say it’s $250 a month (I don’t know how much it costs - it’s just my guesstimate).

That’s $672 on basic stuff like transportation, water, electricity, food, medical care and accommodation. After deducting $672 from Madam Jin’s monthly salary of $900, she’s left with $228.

Now, a foreign domestic maid gets about $300 a month. However, the maid does not need to spend money on public transport to get to work each day. Her employer pays the electricity and water bills and provides three meals a day. The maid’s accommodation is essentially free. If the maid falls ill, the employer is, by law, responsible for her medical expenses.

So when the maid gets $300 a month, the maid really earns $300 a month.

However, when Madam Jin gets $900, she’s really earning just $228 a month.