Articles

22 02, 2019

TWC2 comments on proposed amendments to WICA

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00February 22nd, 2019|Facts, research, analysis, Our Stand|

In January 2019, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sought public feedback on some proposed amendments to the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). As TWC2 sees over a thousand cases a year of work injury among foreign workers, this matter is germane to our work. MOM's proposals centre chiefly around these themes: 1. Medical leave

20 02, 2019

Rahman and employer agree to settle salary claim… then nothing happens

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00February 20th, 2019|Articles, Stories|

By Grace Chua, based on an interview in August 2018 It has been three months since Rahman Mostafizur filed a salary claim with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Having started work in March 2017, he was dismayed to note that his salary was unilaterally reduced throughout the fourteen months of employment. Before joining Kah Development

16 02, 2019

Are foreign workers abusing WIC claims?

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00February 16th, 2019|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

By Debbie Fordyce The first graph (below) suggests that a disproportionate number of Indian and Bangladeshi migrant workers lodge injury claims within the first six months of starting a job. Moreover, TWC2's observation is that many of these injuries are minor and result in little compensation or will heal completely, thus meriting no disability compensation

18 01, 2019

Debt, jail and “no future”: an overstayer’s story

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00January 18th, 2019|Articles, Stories|

By Darrell Foo, based on an interview in November 2018 At TWC2's Cuff Road Project where free meals are distributed to destitute foreign workers, almost all the men's "makan cards" (meal eligibility cards issued by TWC2) state "injury" or "not paid salary" as their problems. My guess is that 99% of them have one of

7 01, 2019

Eight men surround Raju at a coffeeshop

GuestContributor2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00January 7th, 2019|Articles, Stories|

We first featured Raju in the story To encash two cheques, Raju had to jump through hoops, which was about his last three days before going home. Prior to that, he was having difficulty getting due settlement of his injury compensation claim and this story below is about an incident during that period. -- By

27 12, 2018

Salary non-payment was first sign, then all workers lost their jobs

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00December 27th, 2018|Articles, Stories|

By Mohamed Kasshif, based on an interview in September 2018 “Boss say, don’t worry, still can work”; Zobayar explains the reply he got from his employer upon realising that his work permit had been revoked without notice. It’s been two months since he last received his salary and now he lost his work permit, making

23 12, 2018

Here’s Shakil, who has worked in both Dubai and Singapore

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00December 23rd, 2018|Articles, Stories|

In Singapore, we rarely see workers who have worked in the Middle East before coming here. Why that is so probably involves complex reasons outside the scope of this article. Shakil is the unusual one. He spent five years in Dubai before coming to Singapore. We seize the opportunity to ask him to describe his

18 12, 2018

From overcharging to plain flouting of the law — Ratan’s story

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00December 18th, 2018|Articles, Stories|

By Katia Barthelemy, based on an interview in August 2018 Each migrant worker’s story is unique. Yet, in all the stories we hear at TWC2, we can detect injustice, lack of respect, abuse, illegal treatment or a combination of them. Miah Mohammad Ratan, like most migrant workers in Singapore, started his journey out of Bangladesh

15 12, 2018

In-Principle Approval: uses and abuses 2011 – 2018, introduction

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00December 15th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Introduction Accompanying this introduction is a six-part series of articles that spotlights the In-Principle Approval for a Work Permit (“IPA”), a key document in the import of foreign labour into Singapore. Behind the document is a process that, over time, has shown several weaknesses. What began as a document and process with a laudable aim

15 12, 2018

In-Principle Approval: uses and abuses 2011 – 2018, part 6

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00December 15th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Part 6: where we are now And that’s where we are at this moment. The In-Principle Approval for a Work permit ("IPA" -- explained in footnote) has travelled a long way, beginning life as a simple document that merely informed prospective migrant workers that a legitimate Work Permit awaited them in Singapore, together with basic