Articles

15 03, 2014

In the hours following an accident, the mischief starts

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:35+08:00March 15th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Keith W Hossain Jabed's story is one of long frustration. His accident happened more than one year ago, but his medical treatment has been suspended because his employer wouldn't pay, and now he is likely to be sent home without being properly cured. "I cannot turn head very much," he says, explaining his restricted

11 03, 2014

Dentists treat foot injuries, don’t they?

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:35+08:00March 11th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Mayank Tripathi “Why should I go to a dentist for a broken foot?" exclaims a visibly weary Md Sultan Khan, when he begins telling me his story. About a year ago, Sultan, an employee of Sino Marine & Engineering, incurred an injury while at his workplace in Keppel shipyard. He was initially treated at

9 03, 2014

High Court overrules MOM Labour Court on overtime pay

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:35+08:00March 9th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, News Flash|

In a noteworthy decision, the High Court ruled that the Ministry of Manpower's Assistant Commissioner for Labour misapprehended the law, applying it wrongly. The latter (also known informally as the Labour Court) had ruled in favour of the employer VGP Corp Ltd. But the High Court, in a written decision released on 31 December 2013,

8 03, 2014

Through six years working here, Suman’s salary stayed much the same

alex2019-08-30T16:33:35+08:00March 8th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

Most times, when TWC2 volunteers interview workers, the conversation tends to focus on the immediate problem he or she faces, be it an injury needing proper medical attention, unpaid salaries, or a job scam. Suman Barman has an injury too, to his right thumb, but he was also a good case study of someone who

5 03, 2014

Owed $18,000 by boss, Arul told he should go home without collecting it

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:35+08:00March 5th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Jacintha Gopal Narayanasamy Arulmurugan (Arul) has in hand a formal order issued by a Labour Court ordering his employer to pay him $18,276.42 in owed salary. But he is facing the stark possibility that he’d soon be told by the Ministry of Manpower to buy his own ticket and go home to India without

2 03, 2014

Lawyer tells injured worker he can go home without waiting for WICA process to conclude

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:35+08:00March 2nd, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Sonia Pillai Quite early in the interview, Palani Srinivasan, 43, mentions that his lawyer has told him to go home after his third operation. “Let me do collection for you,” was what (according to Srinivasan) his lawyer said. TWC2 vice-president Alex Au, who is sitting beside me, thinks it rather strange. "His WICA process

27 02, 2014

Scammed worker given only six months to recover his $4,500 loss

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:35+08:00February 27th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Fuxiong Torikul's hoped-for second job in Singapore never materialised. Instead, he's $4,500 in the red, having paid this total sum to an 'agent' and the boss. Getting it back is going to be difficult. He borrowed this amount from his father-in-law, who mortgaged his small plot of farmland to raise the money for him.

24 02, 2014

“Sign now,” says ‘workers control assistant’ to injured Arif

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:36+08:00February 24th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Joyce Wong Confronted by enforcers, Arif fled the dorm for his own safety. He left all his belongings behind. On 18 Jan 2014, fifteen days after a section of a finger was cut off by a cement mixer during work, Arif Hossin Chan Miah received a phone call from Zainuddin (not his real name),

21 02, 2014

Kowtham leaves Singapore poorer than when he arrived

alex2019-08-30T16:33:36+08:00February 21st, 2014|Articles, Stories|

Vallathan Kowthaman is going home end January 2014. He has no reason to smile as broadly as he does in the photo above, being about $6,000 poorer than when we arrived for his second job in March 2013. But he gives us a big smile because TWC2 has been his lifeline since he was injured,

18 02, 2014

Alam’s disappearing accident

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:36+08:00February 18th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Benjamin Wong The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website states that for a worker to claim under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), "the employee only needs to prove that he was injured in a work accident ..." (emphasis added by TWC2). In reality, many workers have difficulty even meeting this supposedly simple condition, because