Facts, research, analysis

5 02, 2017

Average recruitment cost hit $15,000 in 2015 for first-time Bangladeshi construction workers

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:34+08:00February 5th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

After hearing anecdotal reports of 'agent fees' in the region of $17,000 or $18,000, Transient Workers Count Two carried out a pilot survey to determine if these were rare cases, or if recruitment costs have risen dramatically. An earlier research report published in 2012, Worse off for working? found that Bangladeshi workers needed to work

25 01, 2017

Was there no prosecution in 2016 for non-payment of salaries?

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:34+08:00January 25th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

As 2016 came to a close, TWC2 trawled through the website of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to see what prosecutions have been listed there through the year. MOM issues press releases whenever an employer has been sentenced in court. TWC2 found twelve mentions in MOM's website through 2016. The list is shown further down. What

15 01, 2017

TWC2 survey: starting salaries for migrant workers flatlined for the last 10 years

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:35+08:00January 15th, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Starting basic salaries for first-time workers from India and Bangladesh have remained more or less static since 2006, averaging slightly under Singapore dollars 600 per month. However, when adjusted for inflation, a downward trend is seen, and thus, in terms of Singapore purchasing power, average basic salaries have declined about 20% since 2006. The above

2 01, 2017

‘This is so real’: Reflections on 32 months with The Cuff Road Project

GuestContributor2019-08-30T16:31:35+08:00January 2nd, 2017|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

By Shona Loong It is Saturday, 17 September 2016: Tito is in tears. He is being sent home after just six months in Singapore. His boss has bought him a plane ticket for this evening. This is already an extension of sorts: three days ago, his work-permit was cancelled and he was made to board

27 11, 2016

Reflections: Wica and Labour Court processes

GuestContributor2019-08-30T16:31:58+08:00November 27th, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Most interns who spend 6 - 9 weeks with TWC2 are asked to wrap up their internship with an essay on a specific topic. Law student Pranay Arvind Suryavanshi spent his mid-year vacation 2016 with us assisting with casework and the Labour Court Research Project. In the process, he came across many foreign workers who

14 11, 2016

Reflections: Salary issues faced by migrant workers

GuestContributor2019-08-30T16:31:58+08:00November 14th, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Most interns who spend 6 - 9 weeks with TWC2 are asked to wrap up their internship with an essay on a specific topic. Rebecca spent her mid-year vacation 2016 with us assisting with casework and the Labour Court Research Project. In the process, she came across many foreign workers who had suffered salary non-payment or

31 10, 2016

The price of a job

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:59+08:00October 31st, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

TWC2's latest research takes a detailed look at recruitment costs borne by female domestic workers in Singapore. Based on a survey of 232 workers conducted in early 2016, the study reveals how much they paid, to whom, and how many months' of salary deductions these payments represented. It also gathered their opinions as to

21 10, 2016

Diluted Justice: Protection and redress for trafficked fishermen in Asia

webmaster2019-08-30T16:31:59+08:00October 21st, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Press Releases|

A joint research by Dr Sallie Yea and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) reveals that trafficked fishermen face insurmountable barriers to access legal and economic justice and protection. These barriers are caused by the following factors: significant gaps in measures for victim identification, a lack of coordinated support for the psycho-social needs and well-being of

20 10, 2016

Some workers get to cook, others have to put up with bad catered food

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:31:59+08:00October 20th, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

Not your typical worker's meal By Seah Bei Ying Most of us have seen some Bangladeshi workers having their packed lunches in void decks in heartland areas. Where the lunch come from? Did they buy curry and rice from the nearby coffee shop for their everyday meals? If yes, then how much did their costs

16 10, 2016

Foreign workers chained by debt, governments have a moral duty to act

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:31:59+08:00October 16th, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

By Kimberley Ng In recent years, Singapore’s slowing economy has meant fewer construction and marine sector jobs for migrant workers. What few might realise is that recruitment costs have risen prohibitively through the same period. The two are not unrelated: it is a matter of demand for work outstripping supply of jobs. Unfortunately neither the