Manpower shortage and our kafala system
Employers acting in self-interest couldn't care less if they hurt the national interest. Singapore unfortunately jealously protects employers' self-interest. It's a dogma thing.
16
05, 2021
15
05, 2021
Vast majority of foreign workers with salary short-payment or non-payment won’t see their employers ‘taken to task’
MOM takes issue with our commentary about different numbers being bandied about re salary claims. Clearer numbers make the root issue even clearer!
9
04, 2021
US Customs issues seizure order on Top Glove products over labour standards
Recruitment debt, excessive overtime, abusive working and living conditions, and retention of identity documents lead to ban and seizure of company products.
6
04, 2021
Nearly 8,000 foreign construction workers had permits cancelled close to expiry date
In the second half fo 2020, Singapore could have lost 10,000 - 20,000 construction workers who would actually have wanted to stay on and work.
5
04, 2021
No dormitory case of Covid-19 in month of March 2021
In September 2020, we had 801 Covid-19 cases from the dorms. From October, there has been a dramatic improvement.
1
04, 2021
US State Dept’s 2020 human rights report on Singapore
Among the issues touched on are indications of forced labor, restrictions of workers' movement during Covid-19, arrests of foreign workers on terrorism grounds.
19
03, 2021
Switching jobs: Bravely into the minefield
A deep study of the hazards encountered by migrant workers in their attempts to switch jobs. Rules are complex, costs are high and plans easily derailed.
15
03, 2021
Give domestic workers a break
For all the wringing of hands over abuse of domestic workers, one key solution has still not been implemented despite TWC2 proposing it nearly two decades ago.
12
03, 2021
Employers claw back cost of stay-home period from arriving workers
MOM says employers must bear the full cost of newly-arriving workers' quarantine stay. Without victim protection, our policy-makers are whistling in the wind.
8
03, 2021
How did 5,000 salary claims a year become 1,400 over five years?
In 2018 and 2019, over 60% of all salary claims were filed by foreign employees. Even digging these basic figures out involved sleuthing. Many things still opaque.