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Land reclamation worker’s salary just $227 a month
By Jiang Haolie It is unthinkable to survive in Singapore earning just $227 a month, or $1.19 for every hour of backbreaking work. Bidut (not his real name), a reclamation worker is doing just that. For comparison, an indoor job at McDonalds would pay five to six dollars an hour; it
In a soft voice, a tale of $10,000
By Jas Talukder Joynal approaches me hesitantly, yet he does not strike me as a man of low self-esteem. Clad in a brightly coloured checkered shirt, with a good trendy fit, he definitely cares about his appearance. His face is one that has not yet been marked with the hardships of life
Even MOM thinks a broken arm deserves sick leave
By William Chin You might think that a broken arm with 2 pins inserted would warrant a medical certificate (MC). Not so if you are treated by a certain Dr Tan -- TWC2 has her full name. Monir Shafi suffered a bad fall on 28 July 2015, which required treatment
The bicycle thief (who didn’t do it)
In the much acclaimed 1948 Italian movie of the same name, the protagonist searches for his stolen bike, the bike that he needs to keep his job to help his family escape from poverty in post-World War 2 Italy. Arman, the protagonist of this story who came to work in
“Please get going” — polite way for boss to tell worker he’ll be repatriated for getting medical leave
By Ranjana Raghunathan I ask Balasubramanian Mangaleswaran if he requested for medical treatment from his employer right after injuring his leg. He replies, “I asked them immediately, they just said that they would not pay for it.” He was told, “you must take care of it yourself.” This is against
Operation and crutches without MC, MOM’s accident reporting system crippled
By Keith Wong At right is a picture of Pennada Balarama Murthy taken six weeks after the accident that injured his right ankle. He still cannot put weight on that foot. Any reasonable person would say he should be on medical leave. Even prescribing light duty would not be appropriate
Broken bone in foot but no surgical intervention
By Samantha Ege “This leg, very big already,” Ali tells me, gesturing towards his noticeably swollen foot. On 23 February 2015, Ali was working as he would normally do, at a shipyard. He was dressed in the necessary protective gear, complete with brand new safety footwear. However, this was not
Accident went unreported for 13 months, worker may not get compensation
Ramasamy Ayyasamy's left hand is now virtually useless for work. Three fingers are stiff and there is still a metal splinter inside his ring finger. It's not clear how he is going to continue earning an adequate income to feed his family. Yet, he is at risk of not receiving any
Adjusting to bureaucratic Singapore: “All must evidence. One thing wrong also cannot.”
By Kok Rabin Have you ever been annoyed when others spell your name wrongly? What if their mistake could cost you $16,000? Sitting in front of me at Alankar restaurant this hazy evening is Pandurangan Madhurakavi, a tall man with broad shoulders and a broader smile. 37-year-old Kavi (as his
Ankle broken, Nagarajan’s future bleak as a hired farm-hand
By Ranjana Raghunathan Adaikkalam Nagarajan, 32, was given a “special shoe” to wear for a month. “No other treatment! I was in pain for a month, even with painkillers. I was given light-duty for a month, no medical leave.” TWC2 has noted that many doctors don't issue full medical leave