The following story is an extract from a journal written by a foreign domestic worker in Singapore. This is the first of the series. For their privacy, TWC2 has replaced names and removed references to dates and places. Only major spelling mistakes have been corrected; otherwise the text is what was written by them. This
This report outlines the types of problems faced by low-wage migrant workers in Singapore working in the construction, shipyard, shipbuilding, cleaning and food services industries, in seeking redress when they are injured or mistreated. The report describes the difficulty workers have in supporting themselves while awaiting the resolution of a claim, lack of means to hire
Family members often have different views on migrant workers, especially on the treatment of their own domestic workers. This short story by Anne Bergen-Aurand, first published in our members' newsletter of March-April 2010, recalls a difficulty faced by a caller to our helpline: TWC2's helpline frequently receives calls from “concerned others.” These are callers who
Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) brought together a group of lawyers who worked on these proposals for amending the legislation and rules governing the agencies that handle the placement of many migrant workers with employers every year. The format reproduces the Act and Regulations, with the proposals inserted into the test wherever appropriate. Download the
The Employment Agencies Act is to be reviewed and amended this year (2010). A TWC2 legal group began work in 2009 on proposals for how the Act and Rules issued under it might be amended to ensure improved protection of the rights and wellbeing of the migrant workers who agencies place in employment. The proposals
From TWC2 members' newsletter, Sept-Oct 2009: Sometimes TWC2 has calls about domestic workers who don’t get enough food to eat. There are not many – just eight last year, for example – but we know other organisations receive similar calls. This is a serious type of abuse and so even a small number of cases
In 2008, there were over 180,000 domestic workers in Singapore. The largest numbers came from the Philippines and Indonesia. In this report, Transient Workers Count Too presents the results of a survey that focuses on two main stages of the processes that Indonesian women who decide to become domestic workers go through. They are stages
The '3 Ds' report (produced in September 2006) looked at the level of debt carried by domestic workers newly arrived in Singapore as a result of the placement costs they bear. It also reports on delays in payments and salary deductions. It proposes a cap on charges to domestic workers. The issues raised unfortunately remain
