Facts, research, analysis

10 03, 2018

Grappling with trafficking is like nailing jelly to a wall

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:06+08:00March 10th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Happenings|

Former president of TWC2, John Gee, was a panellist at a human trafficking forum at the National University of Singapore's Stephen Riady Global Centre on Saturday 27 January 2018. In his talk, titled 'Nailing jelly to the wall', he drew attention to how terms and labels can be misconstrued, and responses can vary greatly. For

25 02, 2018

A look back at job mobility policies 2011 – 2017

alex2019-08-30T16:31:07+08:00February 25th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

There has been a gradual liberalisation over the last few years allowing construction workers to transfer to new jobs. This paper takes stock of evolving government policy in this area. Transient Workers Count Too has argued for a long time that retaining workers with experience in Singapore will be good for our much-hoped-for improvement in productivity.

10 02, 2018

Victims of unpaid salaries have hard time getting transfer jobs

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:07+08:00February 10th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

One of the more encouraging things that Transient Workers Count Too has noticed in the past few years is that now, nearly all victims of unpaid salary are given a chance by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to look for new jobs in Singapore without first having to return home. The significance of the above may be

24 01, 2018

Asean consensus on migrant labour: gaps between reality and Singapore’s commitments

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:08+08:00January 24th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

In November 2017, Asean heads of government signed an 'Asean Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers'. The terms of the document were not binding, and every article within was made subject to national laws. Despite such inauspicious beginnings, Transient Workers Count Too has taken a microscope to the document.

20 12, 2017

MOM wrong to accuse us of ‘inaccurate’ and ‘untrue’ account

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:08+08:00December 20th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

On 5 December 2017, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) put up a note on their Facebook page accusing TWC2 of publishing an "inaccurate" account. This was in relation to the story we had posted on 12 October 2017 titled "Fraud committed using ministry letterhead". We stand by our story. We consider MOM's accusation against us

30 11, 2017

Only 400 survived the fight for new jobs. Out of 100,000?

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:09+08:00November 30th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

"As of Oct 2017," said Lim Swee Say, Minister for Manpower, in a written answer to a parliamentary question, "400 [Work Permit holders have] changed employers after completing their work permit terms." He gave this reply on 6 November 2017. To assess the significance of this number, it is necessary to provide some background. Over

19 11, 2017

Bridging the academic-NGO divide: Making research relevant to migrant workers and their front line supporters.

webmaster2020-09-24T18:10:07+08:00November 19th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Happenings, News, Our Stand|

Nick Harrigan (extreme right) moderating a panel discussion at another event This is a speech given by Nicholas Harrigan, a member of TWC2's research subcommittee, at the 'Health of Migrants and Refugees Workshop' in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 10 November 2017. This workshop was hosted by United Nations University - International Institute for Global Health. Attendees

10 11, 2017

Basic salary stated in IPA is “prima facie” the applicable basic salary, rules the High Court

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:09+08:00November 10th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, News Flash, Our Stand|

In a landmark judgment released 1 November 2017, the High Court has ruled that the basic salary stated in the In-Principle Approval for a Work Permit (IPA) "would constitute prima facie evidence" of the correct basic salary rate, unless the employer can prove otherwise. The bar for proving otherwise was also set very high. This

8 11, 2017

What are the rules for housing injured workers?

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:09+08:00November 8th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

Many injured workers, after leaving their dorms, find bunk space in Little India The law as to who is responsible for workers' accommodation is a dustball of words. The exact meaning is fuzzy and can be squeezed every which way. In practice however, the words are largely rendered moot. Employers have their own requirements

21 10, 2017

Caring for the caregiver: foreign domestic workers’ access to medical care

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:09+08:00October 21st, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

In a survey of 468 foreign domestic workers ("FDW"), TWC2 found that generally, their access to medical care for minor ailments did not seem to be impeded. Over 80% of FDWs were taken by their employers to a doctor when they felt ill and requested for medical attention. Over 80% said they were "not scared"