Pope Francis, in Singapore, urges fair wages for migrant workers

By Joshua McElwee

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - 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 likely the last major speech of an ambitious 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania, the 87-year-old pontiff singled out concern for Singapore's rapidly ageing population and its migrant workforce, primarily centred 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," said the pope, in an address to about 1,000 politicians and civil and religious leaders at the National University of Singapore. "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 S$3,000 ($2,300) per month as at December 2023, including 286,300 domestic workers and 441,100 workers in the construction, shipyard and process sectors, government data shows.

Many of the migrant workers come from nearby countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Bangladesh and India. Francis' speech came after private meetings with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the country's parliament building, where the pope was greeted with a formal honour guard and the playing of the Vatican anthem. He was also presented with a white orchid plant, a new hybrid that was named in his honour. Singapore is also confronting a rapidly ageing population. Its fertility rate dropped below 1 in 2023, and the country will be considered what the United Nations calls a "super-aged" society in 2026, when the proportion of the population aged 65 and above is projected to reach 21%. Concern for migrants has been a common theme for Francis. Earlier on his 12-day tour, he asked leaders in Papua New Guinea to work for fair wages as that country becomes a major target of international companies for its gas, gold and other reserves. On Thursday, Francis also praised Singapore's efforts to confront climate change, calling them a model for other countries. Singapore's government says rising sea levels due to global warming could have major implications for its low-lying coastline and it is planning to spend S$100 billion ($77 billion) over the course of the century on the issue. "Your commitment to sustainable development and the preservation of creation is an example to follow, and your search for innovative solutions to address environmental challenges can encourage other countries to do the same," said the pope. Francis, who has prioritised trips to places never visited by a pope, or where Catholics are a small minority, is only the second pope to visit Singapore, following a brief 5-hour layover by the late John Paul II in 1986. Singapore, with a population of 5.92 million, is plurality Buddhist, with about 31% of people identifying with that faith. The Vatican counts about 210,000 Catholics in the country. There are also strong Muslim, Hindu and Taoist communities. Francis praised the country as "a mosaic of ethnicities, cultures and religions living together in harmony," and said the political officials were "preventing extremism and intolerance from gaining strength or endangering social harmony". Later on Thursday, Francis will celebrate a Mass at Singapore's national sports stadium, which the Vatican expects to draw some 55,000 people, including Catholics who are travelling from Hong Kong for the event. The Vatican is currently renegotiating a controversial deal with China over the appointment of Catholic bishops in the country, which is up for renewal in October. Francis' 12-day tour has also included stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor. He returns to Rome on Friday.

($1 = 1.3039 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by John Mair)