All Articles
After six years in Singapore, $5,000 in debt
By Gabriel Liong When Monir first arrived in Singapore in 2007, he came with the hopes of supporting his family, and of one day returning to Bangladesh with a brighter future. After six years, these hopes have yet to be realised; instead, Monir now finds himself S$5,000 in debt. Recalling
Even bar boys seek us out
The two guys showed up at our office looking for help with accommodation and money for food. But they didn't look at all like the workers we usually see from China. Recalls Kenneth Soh, TWC2's social worker, "They were very fair, smooth-skinned and good-looking, completely different from the sunburnt construction
Long wait for the lorry
By Keith W It was a Wednesday like many other Wednesdays. The men got out of bed, washed, grabbed whatever passed for breakfast, dressed and went down to the street to wait for the lorry which would take them to the worksite. Only, this Wednesday, 30 January 2013, the lorry
Employer tells worker: Salary deduction is for government levy
By YC Loh Transient Workers Count Too sees thousands of cases a year. One might think we've seen all the many ways workers get the short end of the stick. And yet Elias' story illustrates a new way to deprive a worker of his just salary. Elias Sherajul Islam, 25, was employed
Nearly half of workers interviewed paid agents before getting confirmation of jobs
Three of the eighteen workers interviewed in our straw poll By Wang Ting It is a chilly, drizzly evening. A crowd of people, mostly foreign workers from India and Bangladesh, swamp the registration desk of Transient Workers Count Too's free meal service. There's a lot of talking, making
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
What happens when a worker asks for safe working conditions
By Low Guan Hong Having to work without safety equipment is a common problem faced by migrant workers. And when one decided to speak up for his basic right, he paid a hefty price for it. Md Shobuj Mia Md Sulaiman started work in a tentage company as a signalman
Marrying is a far-off dream
By Teo Yi Hui Many people who have not heard Shobuj’s story would be forgiven for assuming that he is just like another of the many young Bangladeshi men in Singapore earning a living and getting on with life. His youthful appearance and smiling countenance betray nothing of the fact
Time elapsed: 31 hours
Medical emergencies require immediate attention, but this shipyard worker endured 31 hours of pain before getting the help that he required. By Cara The first thing you might notice about Thirumoorthi is his serious, almost harsh gaze with an intensity that's emphasised by asymmetrical, bloodshot eyes. I soon learn that
When an injured worker returns home empty-handed
Amran Hossain returned to Bangladesh on 4 Oct 2012, still with a limp, but empty-handed. He did not receive the work injury compensation that was due to him. His experience in Singapore almost broke his spirit. He had come in January 2009 as a construction worker, worked 23 months, but