Nick Harrigan (extreme right) moderating a panel discussion at another event This is a speech given by Nicholas Harrigan, a member of TWC2's research subcommittee, at the 'Health of Migrants and Refugees Workshop' in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 10 November 2017. This workshop was hosted by United Nations University - International Institute for Global Health. Attendees
In a landmark judgment released 1 November 2017, the High Court has ruled that the basic salary stated in the In-Principle Approval for a Work Permit (IPA) "would constitute prima facie evidence" of the correct basic salary rate, unless the employer can prove otherwise. The bar for proving otherwise was also set very high. This
In late June 2017, Channel NewsAsia asked Transient Workers Count Too for a commentary article with the suggested theme of "whether we think migrant workers are an integral part of Singapore society, following reports of how many have to head back given the slowing economy." The article we submitted (in early July) is below. After we
Many injured workers, after leaving their dorms, find bunk space in Little India The law as to who is responsible for workers' accommodation is a dustball of words. The exact meaning is fuzzy and can be squeezed every which way. In practice however, the words are largely rendered moot. Employers have their own requirements
The Sunday edition of the Straits Times, 29 October 2017, featured beauty contests that attract domestic workers on their days off. It said that there are such pageants almost every week, run by about 20 private organisers. Each contest may have about 40 participants. But taking part in the contest came at a price. Jessica, 33, a
In a press statement, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) reported that Chen Quan, director of Hong Lu Engineering Pte Ltd has been charged for kickback offences. Chen, 35, who is also managing director of Trusty Aluminium Pte Ltd, is accused of collecting more than $64,000 from 21 foreign workers, as a condition for their employment. He
TWC2's article as printed in the Straits Times (part) The commentary below was published in the Straits Times, 25 October 2017. John Gee For The Straits Times They form majority of workers in workplaces with high accident rates and deserve more targeted help measures Singapore has set itself the target of significantly reducing its
In a survey of 468 foreign domestic workers ("FDW"), TWC2 found that generally, their access to medical care for minor ailments did not seem to be impeded. Over 80% of FDWs were taken by their employers to a doctor when they felt ill and requested for medical attention. Over 80% said they were "not scared"
Headline in Straits Times "Terry Tan-Soo I-Hse, 39, and Clarence Lim Jun Yao, 30, face a total of 442 charges for operating and using three sham companies to collect fees from more than 300 foreign job seekers for jobs that did not exist," said the Straits Times in a report 20 October 2017.
In his National Day Rally speech on 20 August 2017, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the need for greater efforts in migrating to cashless transactions. Subsequently, other ministers developed the point further. Transient Workers Count Too felt that it was important to ensure that whatever plans are drawn up, they should not inadvertently
