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Indonesian workers’ journey in photographs
"Oh yes, and the prints you see here are for sale," Sim Chi Yin said, almost as an afterthought to the speech she had just made, launching her book The Long Road Home, "and the proceeds will benefit Transient Workers Count Too, Home and Migrant Voices in equal thirds." She
Fact sheet: Retention of passports and important personal documents
It is against the law for employers and agents to retain another person's passport without "reasonable excuse". Passports Act, Section 47, subsection (5) says: 47 (5) If — (a) a person has or retains possession or control in Singapore of a foreign travel document; and (b) the person knows that
Employer underpaid me $21,000, says worker
In the one-and-a-half years working in Singapore, Rashid said he was short-paid by $21,000. This arose out of the way the employer computed his salary, which appears to be in violation of the Employment Act. "My basic salary was $700 a month," which is roughly the going rate in Singapore
False employment contract showed a lower salary, claim 11 workers
L to R: Shahin. Milon Kazi, Azizul and Awlad They had complained to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) that their employer had forged (in their words) their employment contracts, but ministry officials said they had to support their allegation with a police report. The problem was, they weren't
crUX revamps TWC2’s website
The volunteering spirit was in full flow the weekend of 17 and 18 Sept at crUX. Over 20 IT professionals devoted part of their weekend (some of them all weekend), coming together to develop a new website for TWC2 pro-bono. Led by Wen Huang and Mohammed Pitolwala from Savant Degrees,
Left for dead, Jitu finds his feet again
By Spiegel Back home in Shariatpur, Bangladesh, he left behind a wife and four young, school-going children. Far away in Singapore, he sought a better living. If only for just eight months, he did find it. But a horrific workplace accident would cost him nearly everything. His name is Jitu.
Fact sheet: Work permit holders have lowest crime rate of three categories
There is a common idea that migrant workers are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime in Singapore. When, in 2008, some residents in the Serangoon Gardens area expressed their opposition to a dormitory for migrant workers being set up in the neighbourhood, statements were made that it would be
Foreign domestic workers and their employers generally happy, says MOM from a 2010 survey
Foreign domestic workers (FDW) expressed high levels of satisfaction with working in Singapore, reported the Ministry of Manpower, based on a survey it conducted in 2010. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being 'extremely satisfied', about half of the FDWs indicated that they were "extremely satisfied" with
Where fish come from, labour laws don’t go
Manuel, Roland and Isidoro had waited 13 months and 15 days for the opportunity. At last, after bobbing about the Pacific and Indian Oceans, never seeing land, the fishing trawler they were on sailed into Singapore. It was their chance to quit and collect their salaries. They had not been
Fact sheet: Overstaying by more than 90 days can lead to caning
Singapore's Immigration Act specifies that persons overstaying their visas or equivalent permits are liable for judicial caning if they overstay by more than 90 days. There are exceptions pertaining to age. Women are also not caned. Unlawful entry or presence in Singapore 15. — (1) A person shall not remain