Announcements and upcoming events:
Currently, we have not yet scheduled a firm date for our next volunteer orientation session (“Heartbeat”). It will likely be in middle September 2022. If you wish to be kept in the loop, please send an email to info@twc2.org.sg with the header “Interested in Heartbeat, Sept 2022”.
We continue to be working from home more than half the time. Our Administration phone number (6247 7001) and email address (info@twc2.org.sg) remain open during usual weekday hours for any enquiries. Our office will be open daily between 10am and 6pm but with only a skeleton staff. If you wish to meet anyone in person at our office, please write to us in advance and we can schedule an appointment.
Transient Workers Count Too has been made aware of job advertisements for a purported social enterprise named “Transient workers provident fund (TWPF)”. We have no connection with nor knowledge of any such venture.
Featured Articles
Flung from one holding cell to another
No clear answer could be obtained whether a worker was eligible to work in Singapore again. MOM said Yes, but ICA quietly marked him as a No. What then happened?
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Shakib and Taher look for jobs
Two men had to look for new jobs. One was in Bangladesh and the other was in Singapore. Different outcomes.
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The long lockdown, part 6: Stopping distance
On 24 June 2022, MOM retired the Exit Pass system and workers could go out freely. And still workers were calling TWC2 saying they were confined. What does this say about policy effectiveness?
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The long lockdown, part 5: Hear the silence
Months into 2022, Special Pass holders remained stuck in dorms even as more and more Work Permit holders were allowed to go out. What about getting the press to highlight this injustice?
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The long lockdown, part 4: Hear the men speak
We ask two workers to describe what exactly were the barriers they faced when they needed to leave their dorms. A third worker shares a screenshot of a WhatsApp exchange.
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The long lockdown, part 3: The forbidden photocopy shop
Through her two months with us, our intern spoke with many workers complaining about being confined in their dorms. She shares her reflections here.
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The long lockdown, part 2: Regulation 2C
What are the legal provisions that enable MOM or employers to confine workers in dorms? Is MOM even complying with its own rules?
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The long lockdown, part 1: Timeline
Over 300,000 migrant workers were locked down in their dormitories in April 2020. They would not be allowed to go out for leisure until 17 months later, when a tiny trickle were allowed out.
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Segmentation by nationality in Singapore’s construction industry – a comparison of Thais and Bangladeshis
Singapore's construction labour force is characterised by a noticeable stratification by nationality. A study by a former TWC2 volunteer throws light on one reason why.
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Sinkholes on the road home
The permanent night shift made Zhong literally ill, but the employer would not allow a shift change. So he resigned, but going home was one problem after another.
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Highrise hell and the kindness of strangers
One domestic worker had a blistered abdomen, another had blistered hands. Both felt they could tolerate their employment no longer. But leaving was not easy.
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Two men broke our laws, sent to jail
Musa and Akkas were sent to jail. They had tried to find a way to survive and this landed them in trouble.
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Job restrictions, dorm restrictions, tasteless food – migrant workers’ priority concerns
Many Singaporeans, even though well meaning, think that migrant worker issues would be solved if only we "integrated" them better into Singapore society. Is that really a priority for migrant workers themselves?
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Ready, lights, camera, action!
Although he has worked many years in Singapore before, Elyas arrives in Singapore in February 2022 for a new job. He tells us two interesting things about the recruitment process.
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