News > Our Stand
Provide more public spaces for foreign workers within Little India – Debbie Fordyce
In response to member of parliament Denise Phua's call on the government to fence off residents' areas from foreign workers and do more to disperse them from Little India (see News Flash), TWC2 executive committee member Debbie Fordyce wrote to the Straits Times. Her letter was published 11 April 2016:
TWC2 makes submission regarding proposed Employment Claims Tribunal
In February 2016, the Ministry of Manpower invited public feedback on the proposed Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT). The call for feedback can be seen at this link on the Reach website. Key points in the proposal include: ECT to be a tribunal under the State Courts, similar to Small Claims
Phantom job sucks Ali’s savings dry
By Gek Han On paper, Ali Noman, 40, was employed for about five months. His work permit was issued by construction company Sun Demolition Pte Ltd last July. In reality, Ali was given neither work not wages. “Friend say no work. Company say no work,” Ali says not with anger,
$300 fine or prison for dropping a cigarette butt
Sep 2012 arrived Singapore Aug 2013 injured at work, 3 months MC Feb 2014 caught working illegally Apr 2015 received injury compensation of $4,000+ Feb 2016 issued $300 fine for dropping a cigarette butt A sad chronology of events for Hasibul: He had worked for less than one year when
“My friend [will] never walk again,” worker tells volunteer
"He crushed and crumpled the leaflet in his fist and threw it away," said the young volunteer, visibly distressed by the rejection she had just encountered. "He said, 'All this no use. My friend [will] never walk again.'" Most of the time, when our volunteers fan out on our monthly
A Singapore company at the heart of fisherman trafficking — New York Times
The New York Times has an exposé on Step Up Marine, a manning agency operating out of Singapore's Chinatown, and its network of recruiters in neighbouring countries. Young men are deceived and entrapped into horrendously abusive jobs on fishing trawlers, including Eril Andrade who died at sea. Court papers in the
Qatar makes banked salaries mandatory, pulls ahead of Singapore
Qatar's new regulations requiring employers to pay migrant workers via bank accounts will take effect in November 2015. This puts the country ahead of Singapore, where our Ministry of Manpower is not addressing a widespread weakness. Here, employers can choose to pay employees in cash, and it is fairly common for
Singapore accedes to the UN Anti-Trafficking Protocol
Statement by Transient Workers Count Too On 28 September 2015, Singapore acceded to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (UN TIP Protocol), often known as the Palermo Protocol. This is the key international legal instrument for combatting trafficking. Though just over
TWC2 urges stop work orders when haze PSI crosses 200
Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) is gravely concerned that current bad haze conditions will affect the health of workers in many trades, e.g. construction, marine, sanitation, landscaping. TWC2 strongly urges the government to impose a mandatory Stop Work Order when 3-hour average PSI readings, issued hourly, exceed 200, or when
MOM gives excuse that workers can always request for wages through bank
Following TWC2's letter in the Straits Times Forum, 17 June 2015, Ensure pay is banked, offer mobility, the Ministry of Manpower's response was published on 23 June 2015 Electronic payments mandatory upon foreign workers' request Mr Alex Au suggested that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) mandate electronic payment of salaries