All Articles
Two realities: Fate and disappointment
By Xinlin On 7 August 2010, Shohidul Islam Late Abdul Jalil, then aged 31, fell about two metres from a ladder while doing work on an airconditioning duct. He was hospitalised at Changi General Hospital for – he thinks – seven days. But he remembers nothing of the first five
From little finger to bigger mess
Through a Tamil interpreter, Pragash told TWC2 that his employer asked him to sign two letters, both written in English. He had no idea what was said on them, nor was he given a copy. He signed. Why?!#! asked your friendly TWC2 volunteer. Because in similar situations previously, he explained,
The lost boys, part 2: Homelessness and jobs in the sex industry
Continued from part 1. This the second of three parts: In theory the Special Pass is a good idea – workers get to stay in Singapore until their disputes are settled and possibly to retrieve compensation from employers, but the extended period of uncertainty is draining on a guy's spirits
Boomi’s African odyssey, part 6
Continued from part 5. This is the last of six parts: Their return to Cotonou was greeted with more despair when the others saw that Boomi had flown nowhere. They appreciated that Rajeesh had truly believed that the plan would be realized and saw no point in heaping more pain
Jobs portal launched for direct matching between domestic workers and employers
By Spiegel Foreign domestic workers in Singapore now can turn to a new Internet-based service for cutting middlemen costs when seeking switches to fresh employers here. DWJobs.org, a maids’ job portal launched a few weeks ago, can also help employers avoid paying hundreds of dollars in transfer fees to maid
The lost boys, part 1: Accused of being homosexual, beaten and dismissed
Part one of three: “I’ll suicide tomorrow,” Masum says from behind his doleful eyes. “I can’t go home, I have no money... family very, very poor.” Ever since he arrived in Singapore Masum’s life has been something of a soap opera filled with characters who have walk-on parts that include
The scenic route to solving salary disputes
A simple salary claim became a 14-month saga, eating up a good chunk of state resources. It was completely unnecessary, since the solutions that would prevent such disputes from arising in the first place are almost no-brainers. Yet, for reasons unknown, the Ministry of Manpower has not adopted the suggested
Boomi’s African odyssey, part 5
Continued from part 4. This is the fifth of six parts: The Angolan passport ready, Boomi, Rajeesh, and Emil made the long trip by car from Cotonou, Benin, through Togo all the way to Accra, Ghana where Boomi would fly out of Kotoka International Airport. Still in charge of all
Worse off for working? Kickbacks, intermediary fees and migrant construction workers in Singapore
By John Gee A majority of Bangladeshi workers in the construction industry may be made to pay their employers for the renewal of their contracts. Typically, they need to be employed in Singapore for at least 17 ½ months if they are to earn enough to pay off their placement
Boss says to injured worker: “You must work, if not, go back Bangladesh”
By Xinlin Transient Workers Count Too sees many cases where an employer might consider early repatriation of a worker to be the best solution to avoid further costs, especially work injury compensation. This is particularly if the employer has failed to take up insurance, even though under Section 23 of