Mohamed Johon was one of 21 workers from the same company who marched to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in October 2012 to lodge salary complaints, but most of them have since settled for rather less than they were owed, he tells TWC2. He is one of four still demanding what is due to him
By Suresh Mohammad Nazrul Asadur Rahman shows me his newly-minted Special Pass. It was issued just earlier today. But he has endured three months of hardship to get it. And it's not over yet: his boss refuses to hand back his passport. A lanky 40-year old from Bangladesh, Nazrul is highly skilled in welding and
By Danielle The second doctor told Rafiqul he needed an X-ray. But "I no money for X-ray," he reports to TWC2, and when he asked his company for a referral letter, "the company say I cannot have letter." He eventually had to find the money to pay for it himself. It took a week. Meanwhile,
"I go back after two day," says Samiul, evidently happy that he'll be seeing his family again within 48 hours. Well, then, a quick debrief has to be done to see how his case ended. His debrief turns out to be a pleasant surprise because he then gives us a story that shows how things
The Cuff Road Food Programme is Transient Workers Count Too’s signature project. Not only does it address a critical need among workers who have been abandoned and left destitute, it offers an important contact point between the organisation and those in need of help. Workers not only get a hot meal, they get a consultation
The Cuff Road Project (TCRP) has provided more than 360,000 meals to migrant workers since it began in March 2008. The eligibility criterion for admission into the meal programme is that a worker must be out of a job due to injury, dispute with his employer or similar reason. They are no longer permitted to
“We’re not supposed to swim,” says Ana, a domestic worker. “I'm not sure why. I think it’s maybe because they think we’re dirty.” In the block where Ana lives, domestic workers can’t book a barbecue on their own, they can’t form groups and they can’t sit and eat beside the playgrounds where they look after
By Chow Zhi Ying “Every time I ask for MC money, company say later, later, later...” Shah Newaz recounts. 'MC money' is the monthly wage that companies should pay workers who are on medical leave, as mandated by the Work Injury Compensation Act, which also provides a set formula. His story at first sounded like
By late May 2012, Jakir Hossain (above), Dilip and their workmates had not been paid for three months. When Dilip heard that his father in India had fallen ill, he pleaded with his boss for his backpay. He needed to send money to the family back home, he told his boss. Recalls Jakir: "Boss tell
By Benjamin Wong Dipangkar sits awkwardly, his back upright, not leaning against the back of the chair. As I interview him, senior volunteer Alex Au picks up on a subtle difference in Dipangkar's English. "What did you study?" Alex asks. "I have a Bachelor of Social Science in Bangladesh," Dipangkar replies. But conditions are not
