All items filed under News
Covid-19 update: India and Bangladesh
Covid-19 stats from India and Bangladesh don't look good. Expect ti to remain difficult to bring workers from there. That means those who are already here should be allowed to stay.
No migrant worker expects an iron rice bowl, but much more can be done for their financial security
It's too simplistic to speak in terms of iron-clad job security, but a lot more can be done to help migrant workers with career longevity and financial security. Start with recruitment costs.
Post-Covid law makes migrant workers prisoners of employers
The new law says "The employer must not allow, or cause to be allowed, the foreign employee ... to leave the dormitory ... and may grant or refuse consent..."
Why we say ‘foreign domestic worker’ and not ‘helper’
The term "helper" seems to be growing in popularity, but TWC2 disagrees with its use.
More than dormitory space: A chance for reform
Improvement in housing should be only one element in a broader reforms, if we are to arrive at a more ethical relationship with migrant labour. Job restrictions, low salaries, etc, must also be addressed.
Letter in the press: Moving migrant workers offshore would be a step backwards
An engineer floated the concept of building mega-dormitories over the sea, each with a "small-town centre", to minimise migrant workers' entry into our downtown and Singaporean spaces. What do we say to that?
Under lockdown, domestic workers at risk of abuse
Domestic workers have been "advised" to stay in employers' residences during their rest days since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. No end in sight. What about those who have to live with abusive employers?
$1 million spent helping over 90,000 migrant workers remain connected with their families
With support from Facebook and Community Foundation of Singapore, TWC2 tops up migrant workers' phones in time for Eid al-fitr. In total, the campaign spent nearly $1 million to help about workers stuck in quarantine and lockdown.
How many employers are there?
Here's a figure: There are 66,000 employers of S-Pass and Work Permit holders as at April 2020. And workers with bank accounts now number 521,000, which seems to be 77.5%. Numbers exclude FDWs.
Manpower Ministry’s advisory on circuit breaker still unclear
In a media statement dated 13 April 2020 (links to short version and long version) we pointed out that an entire section of the Ministry of Manpower's Advisory on salary and leave arrangements during Circuit Breaker was not only unclear, but seemed to bless salary reductions for foreign