All Articles
Workers will bear over $5 billion of costs for injuries sustained in 2011
Preliminary findings from a study of workplace injuries and ill-health in 2011 reveal that slightly more than half of total costs fall on workers themselves, when quantified into dollar terms. Since low-wage foreign workers tend to be the ones doing the dangerous jobs, they suffer injuries and ill-health disproportionately. Now
The temptation of release
By Chow Zhi Ying Zaman (not his real name) was out of work for three months even though his work permit had not expired. After a serious conflict with his supervisor, who demanded money from him, his boss agreed to give him a transfer letter. It would allow Zaman to
Made to stand in a corner like children
"At the [agency] office, every morning, we must clean the office," says Mary Grace Pescador, 31, a domestic helper from the Philippines, "and from 10am to 1am -- i.e. past midnight -- we have to stand. As punishment." The six women were being punished by their employment agent because the
Mixed progress on maids’ day off
This commentary by John Gee, immediate past president of TWC2, was carried in Today newspaper on 22 July 2013: --- It is just before 9am on a Sunday and there is an elegantly dressed woman in the lift, but she is carrying a large bag that does not go with
Over 57,000 meals served in first half 2013
Transient Workers Count Too served 57,852 meals at our Cuff Road Project through the first six months of 2013. We averaged about 2,160 meals per week, which is 45 - 50 percent higher than the weekly average in 2011. The monthly totals can be be gleaned from the table at
Foreman takes money from worker
Within about a week of arriving in Singapore in early January 2013 to take up his welder job, Aminul discovered that the $6,000 (Bangladesh Taka 390,000) he had paid in Bangladesh as "employment agent's fee" was far higher than the norm. "I ask other worker how much they give for
Broken bones but no medical leave
The above are file pictures and do not represent any of the workers mentioned in this article Foreign workers with relatively serious injuries get very little medical leave when their employers send them to private hospitals. From a recent survey (15 July 2013), we came across one worker (Case ref
Homeless Salim’s illegal boss makes up to $150,000 a month
By YC Loh “Where do you stay now?” I ask Salim. "Last night, sleep this table," is his reply, pointing to an eatery table. "Night before, sleep minimart there,” indicating a bit of space under a tree at Little India’s ‘Bangla Square’. He has been brought to this sad, homeless state
Beautician relies entirely on agent who puts her on path to jail
Riya was sentenced to three weeks in jail in June this year for twice submitting false documents to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). She had no clue that she had committed the offence. Her life fell apart in October 2012 when her employer suddenly took her to MOM with her
Korean students visit TWC2 researching housing for workers
Early July 2013, a group of seven post-graduates from Seoul National University visited Transient Workers Count Too. They were in Singapore for a week for field work related to research on the subject of housing of migrant workers -- their chosen topic for their masters dissertation in urban planning. TWC2