Pope Francis, in Singapore, urges fair wages for migrant workers
Pope Francis urged political leaders in Singapore, a leading global financial hub, to seek fair wages for the country’s million-plus lower-paid foreign workers.
SINGAPORE — Pope Francis on Thursday urged political leaders in Singapore, a leading global financial hub, to seek fair wages for the country’s million-plus lower-paid foreign workers.
In what was likely the last major speech of an ambitious 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania, the 87-year-old pontiff expressed concern for Singapore’s rapidly aging population and its migrant workforce, centered in the construction and domestic services industries.
“I hope that special attention will be paid to the poor and the elderly ... as well as to protecting the dignity of migrant workers,” the pope said in an address to about 1,000 politicians and civil and religious leaders.
“These workers contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage,” he said.
There were 1.1 million foreigners on work permits in Singapore who earned less than 3,000 Singapore dollars ($2,300) per month as of December 2023, including 286,300 domestic workers and 441,100 workers in the construction, shipyard and process sectors, government data shows.
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