All items filed under News
Big cut in Filipina maids September 2
A moratorium has been declared on sending Filipina domestic helpers to Singapore starting 2 September 2013. This news was carried by Channel NewsAsia (CNA) and the Straits Times (23 July 2013). CNA said 150 maid agencies in the Philippines, members of a trade association, want employers in Singapore to bear
Don’t dictate sick leave, employers told
The Ministry of Manpower sent out an email reminder to 28,000 workplace safety and health officers telling them "not to influence doctors to give injured workers less sick leave than they need," reported the Sunday Times on 21 July 2013. According to the newspaper, this email was dated 11 July,
25 foreigners jailed for submitting false academic qualifications
Twenty-five foreigners pleaded guilty to "submitting forged academic certificates to the Controller of Work Passes in order to obtain work passes" on Tuesday, 16 July 2013, reported Channel NewsAsia. (Link) The 20 males and five females are aged between 19 and 48 years old. Twenty-one are from Myanmar, three from
Straits Times editorial: Callous collusion must be stopped
In its editorial of Saturday, 13 July 2013, the Straits Times says "collusion between doctors and employers is conduct simply too callous to go unpunished." It was addressing the issue of insufficient medical leave given by some doctors in private practice to injured workers, as covered by the newspaper in
Doctors told to give injured workers enough leave
The story made it to the front page. When TWC2 received a copy from Healthserve of a circular letter issued jointly by the Ministries of Health and Manpower to all registered medical practitioners, we knew it would be something the Straits Times might be interested in. We contacted the newspaper
Epileptic fits after head injury, but no money for medication
"He needs to be around somebody at all hours," says Debbie Fordyce, co-ordinator of TWC2's Cuff Road Project. "The epileptic fit can come at any time, and someone needs to catch him to make sure he doesn't fall and hurt himself." Fortunately, TWC2 has hundreds of workers on our register
Singapore government should issue mandatory ‘Stop work’ order
Media Statement: 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,
Five companies fined for salary delay and poor housing of workers
Five companies were convicted for a variety of offences involving mistreatment of their foreign employees, reported Channel NewsAsia on 30 May 2013. (Link). They were named as: Soon Aik Marine Engineering Pte Ltd, Soon Aik Offshore Pte Ltd, Soon Aik Shipbuilding Pte Ltd, Yong Soon Shipbuilding Pte Ltd, and Yong
Companies should publicise their labour standards and write them into contracts
In a letter published by Today newspaper, TWC2 immediate past president John Gee proposed a means by which good labour standards can be propagated in Singapore. Companies should write labour standards into contracts with their subcontractors. Government-linked companies should lead the way, he says, among other suggestions. --- Today, 31
2 illegal workers caught, 3 more under investigation
A report in Today, 24 May 2013, provided a glimpse into and some figures relating to raids conducted in Little India to ferret out illegal workers. In "Two foreigners arrested for suspected illegal employment", the newspaper reported that officers from the Ministry of Manpower checked twelve shops along Kinta Road, Race