Transient Workers Count Too has served half a million meals since our Cuff Road Project began in 2008. The milestone was celebrated on Monday 28 April 2014 with a boisterous lucky draw and contest. Nonetheless, reflecting on its significance, TWC2 president Russell Heng suggests the event deserves mixed feelings: "Half a million -- while we
TWC2 calls for practices of labour trafficking suffered by low wage migrant workers in all sectors of employment and foreign fishermen who dock in Singapore or on transit in the country to be addressed in the “Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill”. In a 17-page document submitted via email on 18 April 2014 to the address
The report Training centres in Bangladesh have become money-minting machines (published September 2013) was based on research done in Dhaka. Drawing from anecdotal information, we asserted in the paper that "Most workers report that their Singapore jobs are unrelated to the skills they trained for." This anecdotal information was from workers whom Transient Workers Count Too
Dinner time at the Cuff Road Project is usually hectic. Too many laid-off workers crowd into a tiny diner not just to get their meals, but to seek a consultation, get a document explained to them, or apply for an EZ-Link card. They're also there to catch up with friends, or tell us about someone
"They didn't ask any questions," said Nor Karno, "unless the managers weren't in the room. Then the questions came." The Transient Workers Count Too social worker was describing his experience giving three talks at Bright Vision Hospital in March 2014. It was a sign of enlightened management practice that the hospital management invited TWC2 to
The number of injury cases seen at the Cuff Road Project more than doubled between 2011 and 2013, latest figures show. In 2011, our volunteers saw 807 injured workers; it shot up to 1,523 cases in 2012, and rose some more in 2013, to 1,791. However, the total numbers seen at our meal programme increased
The Cuff Road Food Programme is Transient Workers Count Too’s signature project. It provides free meals to migrant workers six days a week when they are injured or otherwise out of work and destitute. It also offers an important contact point between the organisation and those in need of help. Workers not only get nourishment,
A key plank in Transient Workers Count Too's advocacy is that of untying a work permit holder from his employer, and allowing him (or her) job mobility. Naturally, even as he seeks alternative employment, only employers who have the requisite work permit quota will be able to employ him. We recognise that the quota (known
In 2013, over 90 percent of TWC2's spending went towards charitable activities, benefitting our clients in a relatively direct way. We spend little on overheads, reflecting a philosophy of frugality we are proud of. Total expenditure in the year was $481,139, leaving us with a surplus of $254,755 from the year's income of $735,894. About
At the Migrant Awareness Week organised by students in the law school of National University of Singapore, 3 - 7 March 2014, a whole host of activities were on the calendar. For the forum of 3 March, TWC2 vice-president Alex Au (pictured above with HOME's Celine Dermine on his left) gave a presentation. Below is
