Articles

6 06, 2015

Domestic worker loses 20 kg in five months of hell

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:31+08:00June 6th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Polly Perdereau “I WANT, I WANT!” These were Supinah’s defiant words to her husband when he objected to her going back to Singapore to work. She had stayed put in Java, Indonesia, for two years to take care of their only child. Despite her husband’s strong opposition, Supinah’s decision prevailed. Little did she know that

2 06, 2015

Right to salary invalidated by lack of information, costly repercussions from complaining

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:31+08:00June 2nd, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Samantha Ege Information is what opens the door to knowing our rights, exploring our options and making conscious decisions. Yet, information is something that we do not always have. In the absence of information, our rights can seem invalidated, our options unclear and our decisions not so concrete. In the absence of information, we

29 05, 2015

Kickback intermediaries return “agent money” in a hurry

alex2019-08-30T16:32:31+08:00May 29th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

Early indications were encouraging. Maybe it's a sign that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is at last taking kickback complaints seriously. But at the time of the interview, it's too early to say how this case will turn out. What is clear though is that Anwar Hossain Abdur Rab is happy. And very fortunate compared

29 05, 2015

Direct Services Report for 2014

webmaster2019-08-30T16:32:31+08:00May 29th, 2015|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Press Releases|

2014 marked Transient Workers Count Too's tenth year. It was also a year in which the number of meals served at The Cuff Road Project (our food programme for destitute migrant workers) since its launch in 2008 crossed the 500,000 mark. For the first time, we were regularly able to shelter domestic workers who were desperate

25 05, 2015

Worker asks an inconvenient question, finds himself out of a job

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:31+08:00May 25th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By William Chin The laws are there and the processes are supposed to be in place to help employees who have been injured at work. Saiful's story however, gives a glimpse of the hoops that migrant workers have to jump through and the price they pay. On 3 December 2013, Saiful Islam Lokman Hossain sustained

21 05, 2015

Just passing through

GuestContributor2019-08-30T16:32:31+08:00May 21st, 2015|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

By Kellynn Wee and Marusa Godina The Singapore passport is powerful. According to the international 2014 Visa Restrictions Index, this neat crimson document offers Singaporeans visa-free travel to 167 out of 219 countries in the world, making our passport sixth in the world in terms of global mobility. Singaporeans’ easy trips in and out of

17 05, 2015

Did the police even know they were visiting a private prison?

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:31+08:00May 17th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Sabrina Tay Cowering in severe pain, Shafiqul lay on the floor of his cell and dialled ‘999’. The police and the ambulance arrived shortly. At the same time, the doors to Shafiqul’s cell unlocked as if by themselves and the guards assigned to watch over him miraculously vanished. Shafiqul was taken to the National

13 05, 2015

No pay unless you work, go back to India if you don’t — worker with arm in cast is told

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:32+08:00May 13th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Ranjana Raghunathan Vadivelan asks me nervously, “Can I trust these [TWC2 volunteers] people? They asked if I was willing to tell you my story, and I just shared everything with you. But I do not know what will happen. Will I get into more trouble if I share my story? I am entangled in

12 05, 2015

Poor deals over meals: uncovering regulatory, attitudinal and social shortcomings

alex2019-08-30T16:32:32+08:00May 12th, 2015|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

By Alex Au The above photo was taken around 11:30 am at a void deck below a block of flats. It shows packets of lunch on a broken chair. There were roadworks going on nearby and these packets were almost surely lunch for the crew. What's not in the photo was a Town Council cleaner

9 05, 2015

Wages low, partly unpaid, now Sabuj must pay for medical treatment too

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:32+08:00May 9th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Polly Perdereau “Working very good, accident no good”. This, in his own words, is Sabuj’s sad realisation about life after an injury. Sikder Sabuj started working in Singapore three years ago. He is from Bangladesh. According to him, he had to shell out $9,000 in "agent money" to be able to come here to