Articles > Facts, Research, Analysis
88% of migrant workers caught in limbo show signs of clinical depression
By Anita Mehay “Good here if Singaporean – not if Bangladeshi man” – Mr Olm Mr Olm, a 22 year old Bangladeshi man came to Singapore to work. Just 4 months in, he suffered a workplace injury when his fingers no longer bend, after a heavy object landed on his
“MOM and the Police will ensure that the worker is not confined against his will,” says Manpower minister Tharman
Below is the transcript from the Hansard of a parliamentary question asked by Mr Pritam Singh (Workers' Party - Aljunied) on November 21, 2011. One employee of a repatriation company was jailed for voluntarily causing hurt in 2010, but from the absence of mention, it appears that no one has
Are low-wage workers subject to withholding tax?
It has recently come to Transient Workers Count Too's attention that a clause in the Income Tax Act that refers to withholding tax may apply to low-wage migrant workers. Workers who are terminated prematurely and who, as a result, have worked and stayed less than 183 days in Singapore would
Fact sheet: Correct way to calculate salaries (non-domestic workers)
Volunteer case workers are sometimes confused as to how salaries of work permit holders (other than domestic workers) should be calculated. This is understandable because methods used by employers differ widely, and most times, the chosen method violates the law. Yet, because volunteers may see so many incorrect ways to
Cuff Road Project 2011: ‘Company cases’ and overstayers
A worker approaching Transient Workers Count Too for help at our free meals programme would have his case catergorised as a "Company case" if the source of his difficulty is the behaviour of his employer. The most common misdeed would be to delay payment of salaries or to undercalculate. Other
Cuff Road Project 2011: Injured workers’ length of stay
Graphs by Debbie Fordyce with additional reporting by Alex Au As can be seen from the graph at Cuff Road Project 2011: Types of cases seen, Transient Workers Count Too saw an average of 65 new cases of injured workers each month at our soup kitchen in 2011. Most of
Cuff Road Project 2011: Types of cases seen
Slightly over half the cases that come to us at Transient Workers Count Too's free meals programme come with one or more injuries. Almost all these injuries were sustained at work. A small number would have been the result of a traffic accident while the men were on board a
Cuff Road Project 2011: Meals and nationalities
The Cuff Road Food Programme is Transient Workers Count Too's signature project. Not only does it address a critical need among workers who have been abandoned and left destitute, it offers an important contact point between the organisation and those in need of help. Workers not only get a hot
Injured workers fall through upkeep gap
Data from Transient Workers Count Too's Cuff Road Project for 2011 shows that slightly more than half the cases that come to our volunteers stationed at our soup kitchen are injury cases. Why does the system fail injured workers so badly, that they are destitute? The crux of the problem
Manpower ministry publishes booklet for foreign workers
New workers arriving in Singapore will receive a booklet giving them important information about their stay and job here. Each person arriving with an In-principle Approval for a Work Permit will get a copy at Immigration. Titled 'A Guide for Foreign Workers' in English, it comes in six other languages