Articles

16 01, 2012

Are low-wage workers subject to withholding tax?

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:22+08:00January 16th, 2012|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

It has recently come to Transient Workers Count Too's attention that a clause in the Income Tax Act that refers to withholding tax may apply to low-wage migrant workers. Workers who are terminated prematurely and who, as a result, have worked and stayed less than 183 days in Singapore would be considered "non-residents". The Income

15 01, 2012

Fact sheet: Correct way to calculate salaries (non-domestic workers)

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:22+08:00January 15th, 2012|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Volunteer case workers are sometimes confused as to how salaries of work permit holders (other than domestic workers) should be calculated. This is understandable because methods used by employers differ widely, and most times, the chosen method violates the law. Yet, because volunteers may see so many incorrect ways to calculate salaries, they begin to

14 01, 2012

Cuff Road Project 2011: ‘Company cases’ and overstayers

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:22+08:00January 14th, 2012|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

A worker approaching Transient Workers Count Too for help at our free meals programme would have his case catergorised as a "Company case" if the source of his difficulty is the behaviour of his employer. The most common misdeed would be to delay payment of salaries or to undercalculate. Other misdeeds that we see regularly

13 01, 2012

Lured into $250,000 Canadian ghost job scam

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:23+08:00January 13th, 2012|Articles, Stories|

Hossain is angry. He is among a group of Bangledeshi workers scammed out of around S$250,000 by an elaborate ruse to lure desperate migrants into overseas jobs that don’t exist. It’s happened many times before. A group of more than 50 Bangledeshi workers – Hossain among them – were duped into handing over instalments of

12 01, 2012

Cuff Road Project 2011: Injured workers’ length of stay

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:23+08:00January 12th, 2012|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Graphs by Debbie Fordyce with additional reporting by Alex Au As can be seen from the graph at Cuff Road Project 2011: Types of cases seen, Transient Workers Count Too saw an average of 65 new cases of injured workers each month at our soup kitchen in 2011. Most of the time, we saw the

11 01, 2012

Serial disappearance

alex2019-08-30T16:36:23+08:00January 11th, 2012|Articles, Stories|

It's never easy sitting across a table from someone who is distraught. As a non-profit organisation, we do not have legal powers to help; we can only assist with advice and by communicating with the rightful authorities on a worker's behalf, but in this case, Tian Jingjing's tale was that she had tried those avenues

10 01, 2012

Cuff Road Project 2011: Types of cases seen

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:23+08:00January 10th, 2012|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Slightly over half the cases that come to us at Transient Workers Count Too's free meals programme come with one or more injuries. Almost all these injuries were sustained at work. A small number would have been the result of a traffic accident while the men were on board a company vehicle ferrying the workers

9 01, 2012

Boss wouldn’t pay for his operation

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:36:23+08:00January 9th, 2012|Articles, Stories|

By Rahul Advani Sitting across the table, I was immediately struck by his fresh faced, boyish features and cheery smile. It was difficult to comprehend how someone who looked so young could endure the difficult, physically-demanding life of a manual worker. What struck me even more though, was the level of maturity he displayed in

9 01, 2012

Cuff Road Project 2011: Meals and nationalities

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:23+08:00January 9th, 2012|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

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

8 01, 2012

Injured workers fall through upkeep gap

alex2019-08-30T16:36:23+08:00January 8th, 2012|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Data from Transient Workers Count Too's Cuff Road Project for 2011 shows that slightly more than half the cases that come to our volunteers stationed at our soup kitchen are injury cases. Why does the system fail injured workers so badly, that they are destitute? The crux of the problem is that injured workers are