News > Media Coverage
Two workers, broke and in debt, speak to Today in video
In this video, Today newspaper interviewed two Bangladeshi workers suffering because they are receiving no income, when they have borrowed money to come here. Below is a transcription of what's said in the video that was uploaded onto Youtube on 4 January 2013. The accent can be quite thick and
Jolovan Wham writes open letter to Manpower minister
Jolovan Wham (right), writing in his personal capacity, sent an open letter to Tan Chuan-Jin, acting minister for Manpower on 7 January 2013. The opening paragraph references a defamation suit that the minister is threatening Vincent Wijeysingha of the Singapore Democratic Party with, over a previous Facebook post by the
“40 to a room” — video of a workers’ dormitory in Singapore
The above video shows an industrial building converted into a dormitory for Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi workers. Each room houses about 40 men -- there are at least two rooms -- in extremely crammed and poorly ventilated conditions. The video also pans the shower and toilet facilities. It was produced
Letter in Straits Times: Foreign workers’ medical dilemma
A letter by TWC2 exco member Debbie Fordyce was published in the Straits Times 25 October 2012. She highlights the quite common problem of the government creating a bias against workers in favour of employers. Straits Times, 25 October 2012, Print Forum Foreign workers' medical dilemma Foreign workers often find
“I hope to see my family”, says dying father
The New Paper carried, on Saturday, 29 September 2012, the story of the emergency airlift home for Amin Late Abu Taher that took place two days earlier. This story is now archived on the AsiaOne site. Link. ----- "I hope to see my family" The New Paper, 29 September 2012,
“Fewer than 60 cases per year” not insured; 14 Wica prosecutions over 5 years
The Ministry of Manpower says only one percent of work injury claimants find themselves facing employers who did not have work injury insurance. Straits Times, Thurs, 30 Aug 2012. It also concedes that the vast majority of cases in which employers did not have work injury insurance were not prosecuted.
‘All investigations are conducted expeditiously’, says MOM, but no answer to question on average time taken to close a case
Straits Times reader Alex Tang, in a letter published by the newspaper in its print Forum (16 August 2012) asked a number of questions about workers placed on Special Passes because of "cheating" by employers. Queries on special-pass foreigners There are many foreigners who are holding special passes because they
Mind the gap between principle and practice, Sunday Times gently chides MOM
In carefully couched language, the Sunday Times told the government that it's all very well to enhance penalties and add new offences to the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, but unless there is enforcement, what difference will it make? Passing it will be the easy part. But the gap between
Protect vulnerable workers against abuse, says Straits Times in its leader
The Straits Times' editorial of Saturday 18 August 2012 spoke up for the amendments to the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. Noting that when employers get away with circumventing the rules and thus pay less than the true cost of hiring foreign workers, it is "at the expense of Singaporean
Sunday Times highlights TWC2’s research ‘Worse off for working?’
A full-page feature in the Sunday Times, 12 August 2012, on the plight of foreign workers was timed to precede the first reading of amendments to the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act in Parliament the Monday after. Much of the feature revolved around a study conducted by Transient Workers Count