Migrant workers in Singapore are set to benefit from improved social and recreational facilities as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) partners with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). Starting August 1, 2024, NTUC will operate three Recreation Centres (RCs) – Penjuru, Terusan, and Tuas South – for a three-year term. This partnership aims to better meet the social and recreational needs of migrant workers.
In a press release dated June 28, MOM announced the decision to appoint external partners to operate the RCs, enhancing the diversity and quality of offerings. NTUC was chosen as the first partner due to its deep understanding of migrant workers’ needs and strong operational experience. Singapore Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon expressed confidence in NTUC’s ability to enhance the RCs’ offerings, emphasizing the importance of vibrant and attractive spaces for migrant workers.
Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, MOM has focused on building a resilient migrant workforce, particularly in housing, healthcare, and recreation. The RCs serve as welcoming spaces for migrant workers to meet their daily social and recreational needs and can be repurposed as testing and vaccination centers during pandemics.
Currently, MOM operates six of the nine RCs located near large migrant worker dormitory catchment areas. As the social and recreational needs of migrant workers evolve, MOM is committed to working with stakeholders and partners to improve the quality of the RCs. This commitment is centered on four key areas: partnering with external operators to enhance diversity and quality, expanding collaboration with NGOs and community partners, refurbishing older RCs, and exploring new design concepts for future RCs.
MOM plans to appoint external partners with strong operational expertise to attract a vibrant mix of tenants and pilot innovative programs at the RCs. For the initial collaboration, NTUC will operate the Penjuru, Terusan, and Tuas South RCs. NTUC’s experience in running the Migrant Workers’ Centre Recreation Club and conducting the Settling-In Programme for migrant workers makes it a suitable partner. NTUC will also leverage its network of social enterprises and recreational offerings to enhance the RCs’ attractiveness.
To ensure the RCs remain attractive to migrant workers with lower spending power, MOM will provide a grant to NTUC to support the RCs’ operations. NTUC must meet annual visitorship targets and implement required governance controls and financial and procurement procedures to receive the grant. The Recreation Centres managed by NTUC will focus on being budget-friendly for migrant workers, who typically earn small wages.
MOM’s future plans include transforming and enriching the RC landscape in collaboration with partners, making RCs the preferred destination for migrant workers. MOM is also exploring the development of larger RCs that could offer a wider range of services and attract more migrant workers. Currently, the six RCs operated by MOM are Cochrane RC, Kranji RC, Penjuru RC, Sembawang RC, Terusan RC, and Tuas South RC. The remaining three RCs – Kaki Bukit RC and Woodlands RC – are privately operated, and the Migrant Workers’ Centre Recreation Club is operated by an NGO.