Announcements and upcoming events:
If you are interested in helping out, our next volunteer orientation session (“Heartbeat”) will be on Thursday 3 November 2022, at 7:30pm. If you wish to attend, please send an email to info@twc2.org.sg with the header “Interested in Heartbeat, November 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
Labour crunch during pandemic reveals hopeful possibilities for recruitment cost
When the construction industry faced a severe manpower shortage due to Covid-19 border closures, a funny thing happened to recruitment costs. Knowing the phenomenon would be ephemeral, a snapshot study was conducted.
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Hanging plastic sheets is a matter fraught with “operational complexities”
The government announced new rules to improve safety and welfare for workers carried on the backs of lorries. We couldn't find anything meaningful among the new measures.
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Rana takes Law Society to court
What began as a personal injury case evolved into a complaint of unprofessional conduct against a lawyer, and when that complaint was handled badly, into a law suit against the Law Society.
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MOM’s domestic worker rest day guide – permissive mush
MOM's published a Guide for employers regarding the mandatory rest day for domestic workers that cannot be bought back. The new rule takes effect on 1 Jan 2023.
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Arranging bail
When a migrant worker is arrested by the police, put into remand and charged with a serious offence, what are the immediate issues that he is faced with? We recount one worker's experience.
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How Singapore abets forced labour
Six worker cases illustrate how Singapore's work permit system constrains the freedom of workers to refuse a job, putting them at risk of having to serve an employer against their will.
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“They are blackmailing me,” says Shariful. “They want to reduce my salary.”
Singapore allows employers to act in bad faith while pretending to have rules that allow retention of skills and experience.
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From $20,000 to $510
For his first job in Singapore, Hossain Imran had to fork out $20,000. For his latest job, he dealt directly with his prospective employer. His experience tells us what recruitment reform should look like.
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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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