Articles

5 11, 2011

Manpower ministry’s Tan Chuan-Jin visits TWC2

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:36:50+08:00November 5th, 2011|Articles, Happenings|

Senior officials from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) met with Transient Workers Count Too this week on a fact-finding visit, engaging in fruitful and cordial discussions that broached a range of legal and workplace issues faced by low-skilled migrant workers in Singapore. Led by Minister of State for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin, some 10 civil servants

29 10, 2011

Fact sheet: Workmen’s compensation for traffic accidents

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:50+08:00October 29th, 2011|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

The scope of the Workmen's Injury Compensation Act includes death and injury sustained while travelling in employer-provided vehicles, but not in public-transport vehicles. Section 3, subsection 2 of the Act expressly says: 3 (2) An accident happening to an employee while he is, with the express or implied permission of his employer, travelling as a passenger

7 10, 2011

Ganging Up

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:36:51+08:00October 7th, 2011|Articles, Stories|

By Ramesh Companies are using gangsters to intimidate, threaten and to ultimately send ‘troublesome’ workers home. Ali (not his real name) has seen better days. He wanders the labyrinthine alleys of Little India in search of friends and familiar faces. On some days all he needs are a warm wave of recognition and reassuring words,

4 10, 2011

Two who remain inside

alex2019-08-30T16:36:51+08:00October 4th, 2011|Articles, Stories|

Up till then, it was a quiet morning at TWC2's office. Up till when the phone rang. On the other side was a woman whose voice told of deep concern. Mrs K (not her real name) told TWC2 staff member Mansura that there was a domestic worker in an apartment a few doors away from

2 10, 2011

Indonesian workers’ journey in photographs

alex2019-08-30T16:36:51+08:00October 2nd, 2011|Articles, Happenings|

"Oh yes, and the prints you see here are for sale," Sim Chi Yin said, almost as an afterthought to the speech she had just made, launching her book The Long Road Home, "and the proceeds will benefit Transient Workers Count Too, Home and Migrant Voices in equal thirds." She was referring to the framed

1 10, 2011

Fact sheet: Retention of passports and important personal documents

alex2019-08-30T16:36:52+08:00October 1st, 2011|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

It is against the law for employers and agents to retain another person's passport without "reasonable excuse". Passports Act, Section 47, subsection (5) says: 47 (5) If — (a) a person has or retains possession or control in Singapore of a foreign travel document; and (b) the person knows that the foreign travel document was

30 09, 2011

Employer underpaid me $21,000, says worker

alex2019-08-30T16:36:52+08:00September 30th, 2011|Articles, Stories|

In the one-and-a-half years working in Singapore, Rashid said he was short-paid by $21,000. This arose out of the way the employer computed his salary, which appears to be in violation of the Employment Act. "My basic salary was $700 a month," which is roughly the going rate in Singapore for migrant construction workers without

20 09, 2011

False employment contract showed a lower salary, claim 11 workers

alex2019-08-30T16:36:52+08:00September 20th, 2011|Articles, Stories|

L to R: Shahin. Milon Kazi, Azizul and Awlad They had complained to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) that their employer had forged (in their words) their employment contracts, but ministry officials said they had to support their allegation with a police report. The problem was, they weren't sure how to make a

18 09, 2011

crUX revamps TWC2’s website

webmaster2019-08-30T16:36:52+08:00September 18th, 2011|Articles, Happenings|

The volunteering spirit was in full flow the weekend of 17 and 18 Sept at crUX. Over 20 IT professionals devoted part of their weekend (some of them all weekend), coming together to develop a new website for TWC2 pro-bono. Led by Wen Huang and Mohammed Pitolwala from Savant Degrees, the aim of the event was

18 09, 2011

Left for dead, Jitu finds his feet again

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:36:52+08:00September 18th, 2011|Articles, Stories|

By Spiegel Back home in Shariatpur, Bangladesh, he left behind a wife and four young, school-going children. Far away in Singapore, he sought a better living. If only for just eight months, he did find it. But a horrific workplace accident would cost him nearly everything. His name is Jitu. After paying an agent $4,000