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“Play play accident,” says foreman to doctor
By Emily Benjamin At National University Hospital (NUH) where Khan Momen was brought to after his accident, the orthopaedic surgeon only spoke "little bit to me", said the injured worker. The surgeon spoke mostly to the company foreman and safety officer, and at some distance from the patient too. While Khan
Woolim, part 1: how low can a salary go?
Hossain Iqbel's IPA states a basic monthly salary of $800, but for a year, he's been paid a basic of only $1.50 an hour (equivalent to $286 a month). The 'IPA' is the In-principle Approval for a Work Permit, a letter issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to employer
We ask three Bangladeshis what they think of Singapore
By Davina Tham Ever since recent events in Little India (see Riot in Little India after bus knocks down pedestrian), the tendency to depict migrant labourers as a matter of statistics, a numbered but faceless crowd, has only worsened: 28 charged, 53 deported and another 200 "issued a formal police
Escaping from repatriation toughs, Neelakandan left all his belongings behind
"Meeting time, they speak all very nicely," recalls Neelakandan of a meeting at his company office on Tuesday, 22 October 2013. Present were "boss wife", a Chinese Singaporean, a manager and an engineer, both Sri Lankans. They -- Neelakandan's superiors -- asked him for details about the incident on Sunday
Menton diary, Part 5
GO TO PART 2 December 2013, Monday Two designated contact persons from the Toh Guan group of ex-Menton staff come to the office to update and discuss the case with social workers Kenneth and Karno. Quite a few things have happened over the weekend. Twenty workers have been paid $1,500
Seen but unheard
By Wajihah Hamid Watching what happened on Sunday in Singapore’s Little India made my heart sink. At one end of the line of fire were fellow Singaporeans while at the other end were Indian migrant workers – a group whom I followed closely for about 3 months, going to Little
Not often seen: repetitive stress injury
By Eitan "One day, boss face change," says Abdul Khaium. "Somebody senior talk to boss, then boss become like angry me." Abdul Khaium does not know the reason even now, but his story is one of an employer who seems to have been patient and understanding until that day. Once
On light duty, with stiff arm, Soman told to operate a lathe
By Shri Devvi Elangovan “Many pain...I cried because a lot in pain”, describes Miah Mohammad Soman of the moments following his accident. He looks uncomfortable, as he sits in front of us with his left shoulder slouched lower and seemingly stiff. He was rushed to a private clinic in the
Doctors need to talk to their patients, part 2
By Benjamin Wong In part 1 was the story of two workers who were worried that their medical records did not correctly capture the circumstances surrounding their workplace accidents. In both cases, the doctors didn't ask the patients how the injury occurred; representatives of the company spoke to the doctors
Doctors need to talk to their patients, part 1
By Benjamin Wong Injuries are the most common type of case Transient Workers Count Too encounters. For workers as with anyone, getting injured is far from a pleasant experience, to put it euphemistically. But as the many stories published have documented, the accident itself is often only the start of