All items filed under News
Badluck Rafiq
Seldom does a single worker get featured in the news twice. Rafiq Miah has that dubious distinction. He was first mentioned in the New Paper in August 2011 after suffering a foot injury in April, and then got hurt in a fire that broke out at a restaurant. He was
No country for fishermen
The death on the high seas of Eril Morales Andrade was featured in The Online Citizen's story, dated January 9, 2012. The case of this Filipino, recruited by a Singapore company, Step Up Marine, to work aboard a Taiwanese fishing vessel, has been monitored closely by TWC2 executive committee member
Jakarta plans to stop sending maids by 2017
In a story datelined Jakarta, January 5, 2012, the Straits Times reported plans afoot in Indonesia to ban sending maids abroad by 2017 unless the receiving country recognises them as formal workers. Under the Domestic Worker Roadmap 2017, it wants to ensure maids are treated like other workers when they
Botched hand surgeries
Every year, three public hospitals see more than 15 cases of foreign workers whose hand injuries have not been treated properly, reported the Sunday Times, January 1, 2012, in a full-page spread. The hospitals were Singapore General Hospital, National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital -- these are the
Immigration: What to look out for in 2012
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) intends to amend the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act in 2012 to strengthen the regulatory hand vis-a-vis errant employers, reported the Straits Times, December 29, 2011. The aim is to "hold employers more accountable for the basic rights and welfare of migrant workers under their
Minister of State Tan Chuan-jin calls on bosses to treat migrant workers fairly
Singaporeans should show our appreciation to migrant workers as they are an integral part of society and play an important role at that, said Minister of State for Manpower Tan Chuan-jin in a blogpost marking International Migrants Day. "They are the workers that build the infrastructure that we enjoy every
Some details emerge on new maids Settling-in Programme
The Settling-in Programme (SIP) for new maids, expected to start in the middle of 2012, is likely to cost $50 to $120 for a one-day or one-and-a-half-day course, reported the Straits Times, December 21, 2011. This estimate was given as the Ministry of Manpower conducted a briefing for likely providers
Straits Times reports on International Migrants Day
Carried on page 2 of the Home section, the Straits Times (Monday, December 19, 2011) featured various non-profit organisations' messages and activities marking International Migrants' Day, including TWC2's. Leading the story was the call by Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics' (HOME) for a specialised anti-human trafficking law. "We urge the
In commemoration of International Migrants Day, 18 December 2011
Message to mark International Migrants' Day, 2011 by Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) Migrants on temporary work permits have long been the backbone of Singapore's economy. Today, there are 870,000 migrant workers in Singapore comprising two in seven workers in the Singapore workforce. These workers keep our houses clean, take
MOM warns 2 repatriation companies
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sent letters to two repatriation companies on November 18, 2011, putting them on notice not to abet any employer avoiding payment of wages and other amounts owed to workers, or preventing the workers making claims under the Work Injury Compensation Act or the Employment Act,