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Employers will not lose security bond if FDW gets pregnant – MOM
One of the commonest reasons given by employers for not giving a day off to the domestic workers employed by them is “I might lose my security bond.” They say that their FDW (Foreign Domestic Worker) might run away or get pregnant, which would cause that to happen. On June
Made to Work: Attitudes towards granting regular days off to migrant domestic workers in Singapore
Foreign domestic workers in Singapore work an average of 14 hours per day, and only 12% have at least one day off per week. Employers who give their foreign domestic worker (FDW) a day off tend to couch it in terms of employment rights while those who do not give
On human trafficking – Singapore falls short of international protocol
TWC2 has worked with others to oppose trafficking since 2006. From our first involvement with this issue, we thought that it was vital for Singapore to change its official view of what trafficking is if it was to be countered effectively. The article below, from the March-April 2009 TWC2 Newsletter,
Dear Diary (3)
The following is an extract from a journal written by a foreign domestic worker in Singapore. This is the third in a series. For their privacy, TWC2 has replaced names and removed references to dates and places. Only major spelling mistakes have been corrected; otherwise the text is what was
Dear Diary (2)
The following is an extract from a journal written by a foreign domestic worker in Singapore. This is the second in a series. For their privacy, TWC2 has replaced names and removed references to dates and places. Only major spelling mistakes have been corrected; otherwise the text is what was
Dear Diary (1)
The following story is an extract from a journal written by a foreign domestic worker in Singapore. This is the first of the series. For their privacy, TWC2 has replaced names and removed references to dates and places. Only major spelling mistakes have been corrected; otherwise the text is what
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied
This report outlines the types of problems faced by low-wage migrant workers in Singapore working in the construction, shipyard, shipbuilding, cleaning and food services industries, in seeking redress when they are injured or mistreated. The report describes the difficulty workers have in supporting themselves while awaiting the resolution of a claim,
Helpline caller forced to choose between family and conscience
Family members often have different views on migrant workers, especially on the treatment of their own domestic workers. This short story by Anne Bergen-Aurand, first published in our members' newsletter of March-April 2010, recalls a difficulty faced by a caller to our helpline: TWC2's helpline frequently receives calls from “concerned
Employment Agencies Act and Rules: Proposals for amendment 2010
Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) brought together a group of lawyers who worked on these proposals for amending the legislation and rules governing the agencies that handle the placement of many migrant workers with employers every year. The format reproduces the Act and Regulations, with the proposals inserted into the
Proposals for the revision of the Employment Agencies Act
The Employment Agencies Act is to be reviewed and amended this year (2010). A TWC2 legal group began work in 2009 on proposals for how the Act and Rules issued under it might be amended to ensure improved protection of the rights and wellbeing of the migrant workers who agencies