Educational online courses, discounted movie tickets for members of the Migrant Workers’ Centre (2024)

SINGAPORE - Members of the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) will now be able to access exclusive courses through an online learning platform and enjoy discounted movie tickets, with these additional opportunities for learning and recreation launched on June 23.

Two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for the enhanced membership offerings were signed at the main National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) May Day Migrant Workers’ Celebration held at the MWC Recreation Club in Soon Lee Road. A satellite event took place at Tuas View Dormitory in Tuas South Avenue 1.

The annual event, organised by NTUC and MWC, was attended by about 26,000 migrant workers, union leaders and other guests across both locations.

A new retail area opened at the MWC Recreation Club on June 23, with shops such as a barber and a travel agency. To further support the welfare of migrant workers, the area also has an Ambassadors’ Club and a gym.

To promote learning on the go, MWC teamed up with Grow Education to host courses on its Grow Studio platform, which offers customised lesson plans, courses and quizzes for all migrant workers. Grow Education is an online learning platform dedicated to equipping migrant workers through accessible educational resources.

Exclusive courses on learning English will be made available only to MWC members through a “members-only” community feature on the platform.

Meanwhile, the MOU with Carnival Cinemas offers MWC members half off movie tickets, from Monday to Thursday. Members will pay $8 instead of the regular $16 ticket price to watch a movie at its cinema in Beach Road.

MWC has 147,000 members who will benefit from these new initiatives. According to foreign workforce numbers from the Ministry of Manpower, there are 441,100 work permit holders in construction, marine shipyard and process sectors as at December 2023.

NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan, who was guest of honour at the event, said that the trade union has been seeking feedback from migrant workers about their needs.

On offering educational courses, Mr Tan said: “We want to make sure that their personal development is taken care of. Being able to have a job is important, but they need to continue to develop their skills and knowledge, so we worked with a partner to see how (the migrant workers) can empower themselves to do more online, because time may also be a concern for them.”

Discounted movie tickets offer a recreational option which may otherwise be too expensive, added Mr Tan, who is also Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.

MWC also has 5,700 ambassadors, who are a group of dedicated migrant workers who volunteer to help new arrivals understand Singapore’s employment laws and assimilate into society.

Now they have a new dedicated space at the MWC Recreation Club, reserved specifically for them.

At the Ambassadors’ Club, these MWC ambassadors can relax in the air-conditioned space during their days off or when they need to take a quick break from work.

Another initiative was the launch of the 60 sq m gym at the MWC Recreation Club.

Over the past two years, MWC has observed a growing interest in fitness from the community, in particular in bodybuilding. At the celebration event, 30 migrant workers took part in the third Bodybuilding Competition, which first started in 2023.

However, feedback through focus group discussions with MWC ambassadors was that there was a lack of proper gym equipment. To fill the gap, MWC collaborated with the Association of Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Singapore to open the gym, which is free for all migrant workers.

MWC executive director Michael Lim told ST that MWC wants to provide migrant workers with a “good balance” between work and their time off.

“We’re trying to provide more outlets for them,” said Mr Lim. “Activities like sports and learning help them enrich their lives and time spent working in Singapore. (These also help) expand their social circles beyond just their roommates or colleagues.”

MWC ambassador Subbaiya Ayyappan, 42, said he would use the club space to play games such as carrom, and catch up with his friends.

“Before this, I didn’t have a place where I could relax and feel comfortable. I’m very happy to be able to enjoy this,” said the operations coordinator from Tamil Nadu, who has been in Singapore since 2013.

On the same day, migrant welfare charity group ItsRainingRaincoats held a potluck at Tuas South Recreation Centre, which attracted about 3,000 workers.

They were treated to local dishes such as nasi lemak, curry puffs and satay, as well as pizza, popcorn and candy floss. Games stations lent a carnival-like vibe to the event, and attendees took home free items such as shirts, umbrellas and water bottles.

The potluck was previously held in 2018 and 2019, but stopped during the pandemic. It is funded through donations and sponsorships.

Ms Dipa Swaminathan, founder of ItsRainingRaincoats, said the food at the event would give migrant workers a break from the “monotony of the meals” they eat regularly. She added that workers may not be able to afford to buy indulgences like a pizza or even a curry puff.

Primary school teacher Shallene Lim, 41, was one of the 150 volunteers who helped out at the potluck event, as a way of giving back to the community and showing her appreciation for migrant workers.

“They are human beings just like us. They enjoy having good food and free things, (especially) because things are expensive in this country. So if we can give all this to them – and thankfully we have sponsors to contribute – it makes them really happy,” said Ms Lim.

A work site supervisor, who gave his name only as Sathish, said he would not be able to spend money on eating a pizza or items like the water bottle and umbrella that he got from the event, because his family depends on the money he sends home.

He said: “That’s why I sacrifice many things, my enjoymenthere. This one is my day... ItsRainingRaincoatsarranged this for me to enjoy.”