Articles

10 07, 2016

Monir says he liked the dorm where his company put him up, so we ask him to describe it

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:01+08:00July 10th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

By Gek Han It doesn't occur to me to ask Hussain Monir if his bed came with a mattress until a senior volunteer does (beds and mattresses go together, right?). Nothing, Monir says. Not quite believing my ears, I tap the table to ask if his bed was as hard, and he says yes. To

6 07, 2016

Foreign domestic workers’ living conditions survey – full results

webmaster2019-08-30T16:32:01+08:00July 6th, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Transient Workers Count Too found that 5% of foreign domestic workers had to share their sleeping space with a male teenager or adult. This is against written law, with a possible fine of up to $10,000. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) confirmed this when the ministry responded to a query by the Straits Times.

2 07, 2016

Another source of trouble for workers: their own lawyers

webmaster2019-08-30T16:32:01+08:00July 2nd, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

https://youtu.be/E9XzomE5SlE In the above video, Rashid Harun explains why he discharged his lawyer. He had suffered a workplace injury and engaged a lawyer for his WICA compensation claim. His employer argued that the accident did not take place at work but that he fell while he was in a lavatory (at the worksite). His

29 06, 2016

Father of two finds savings depleted in long wait for case resolution

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:01+08:00June 29th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

By Li Zi Xin Hossain Billal, 33, has been without work and income for almost a year. He has a wife and two children to support. He may never fully recover from his workplace injury and may never be able to do heavy work again. There is nothing dramatic about his story, only a slow

26 06, 2016

Govindarasu, though injured, says his employer did their best for him

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:01+08:00June 26th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

By Vivek R “They tell me Singapore is very good,” says Muthusamy Govindarasu. “But cannot throw rubbish and must behave well. If not police fine you.” Govindarasu hails from a small town in Tamil Nadu, India. Having only had a secondary school education, for Govindarasu and many foreign workers like him, Singapore is seen as

24 06, 2016

Arm in sling, denied medical treatment for a year

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:01+08:00June 24th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

https://youtu.be/M4VrPkuDZWg Video by Nicole Ng, text by Colin Ng The above video was produced in June 2016, sixteen months after Anowar suffered his injury. Throughout the months following the injury, Anowar did not get much-needed surgery for his shoulder. Some injury cases, like Farid’s, go smoothly and the worker receives the treatment and compensation

18 06, 2016

“Boss say: if asking [salary], then you go back Bangladesh.”

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:01+08:00June 18th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

By Anthony Chua When I first spot Barai Dipok at TWC2’s Dayspace, he is seated in front of a volunteer case helper, clutching some important looking documents and appearing visibly frustrated. As I approach to shake his hand, he utters a weak ‘hi’ and turns his attention right back to the case helper, who is

14 06, 2016

How we walked Muslem Motalb, with broken knee, home

alex2019-08-30T16:32:02+08:00June 14th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

Muslem Motalb will always remember Transient Workers Count Too fondly. "I [will] never forget TWC2," he told us in the days before he went home. "Many people in TWC2 help me so much." We'll tell the story here of what we did to help bring his case to a successful conclusion. It took almost a

10 06, 2016

There are laws about salary payment and work permits, no?

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:02+08:00June 10th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

By Kan Ren Jie For many Singaporean employees, it would be unthinkable for our employers to stop paying our monthly salaries. Many of us are accustomed (and excited!) to see our bank balance increase every month like clockwork. However, this basic confidence is denied to many foreign workers. My conversations with two men, Ali Abbas

8 06, 2016

Discovering that they’re boys again

webmaster2019-08-30T16:32:02+08:00June 8th, 2016|Articles, Happenings|

"Never before, I touch a fighter jet," said Dharmaraj, "and sit inside helicopter, pilot seat." Meanwhile, Amin just beamed broadly, unable to say which moment was the most interesting for him. They went on Friday 20 May 2016 to the Air Force open house, held at Changi airport. The outing was organised by TWC2's Discover