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Smart phones: status symbol and social divider
By Grigor Barseghyan Bangladesh is a country located in South Asia with a population of 156 million people. The capital city of Bangladesh is Dhaka. From the city and around is where lots of workers come to Singapore. They are not the ones at the bottom of Bangladesh society, they are the
Cornered, Ahammed was told to “go back home”
By James Mah “Go back home”. Such remarks can be heard infrequently in Singapore, uttered by locals frustrated at the sight of migrant workers on public transport when buses and trains are jam-packed. Most of the time, these comments would be said from the stress of the moment, without any malicious
The artist in Parthiban blooms amidst injury and loss of a hand
By Katia Barthelemy Photos by Dipti Nagpaul-D'Souza, a journalist with The Indian Express One of the nice aspects of volunteering with TWC2 is the reward you feel contributing a bit to restoring migrant workers’ faith in Singapore. The tougher side is that more often than not, you are only confronted with real
Getting to Bahamas
Clockwise from left: Tan Si Hao, Darryl Mok, Marcus Ong, Huxley Goh and Nguyen Phuong Thao Transient Workers Count Too launched a custom-developed software application in October 2016. It is a complex matrix that is part-database of volunteers, members, donors and other contacts, part-database of volunteering events, and
Reflections: Wica and Labour Court processes
Most interns who spend 6 - 9 weeks with TWC2 are asked to wrap up their internship with an essay on a specific topic. Law student Pranay Arvind Suryavanshi spent his mid-year vacation 2016 with us assisting with casework and the Labour Court Research Project. In the process, he came
Sent to work illegally and caught by police
"The police was at the gate of the shipyard that day, checking all workers arriving at work," Nagelli Mahendar Reddy tells TWC2. "I think someone had informed them that there were illegal workers." Unfortunately, Nagelli was one of the 'illegals'. He did not have a work permit. He and a
Employer hired out his worker, then disclaimed responsibility for accident
By Sarah Tong Kashem was employed by one company but was sent to work for another, a scaffolding company. When he was injured, his employer took the position that the accident happened ‘off-site’, and so refused to pay for treatment. This is incorrect, but perhaps the boss didn't know the
Reflections: Salary issues faced by migrant workers
Most interns who spend 6 - 9 weeks with TWC2 are asked to wrap up their internship with an essay on a specific topic. Rebecca spent her mid-year vacation 2016 with us assisting with casework and the Labour Court Research Project. In the process, she came across many foreign workers who
Heart at the movie – TWC2s fundraising event
TWC2s annual fundraising drive is on again. Treat a worker or two to a movie (complete with boxed lunch and games) at Movie with Heart, by buying tickets. The surplus will go towards the cost of providing services such as food and medical care to out-of-job workers who need help.
Pay is many times better than in Bangladesh, but living conditions worse
By Poh De Sheng Farid is a Bangladeshi national who has had the uncommon experience of having worked at shipyards in both Bangladesh and Singapore. He was able to offer a comparison of the conditions workers face in Singapore vis-à-vis Bangladesh. Back in Bangladesh, Farid shared a house with six