Facts, research, analysis

20 08, 2014

Cost implications of government policies crucial to question of foreign worker accommodation

alex2019-08-30T16:33:05+08:00August 20th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Media Coverage, News, News Flash, Our Stand|

The Straits Times recently carried a story about foreign worker accommodation. Unfortunately, it didn't get to the heart of the matter: the way government policies affect cost and affordability considerations. The newspaper's 19 August 2014 story spoke about the rising number of vacancies at purpose-built dormitories. There are about 5,000 vacancies, said the story, though

22 07, 2014

Direct Services Report for 2013

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:29+08:00July 22nd, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Periodically, Transient Workers Count Too produces a Direct Services Report, summarising the help we render to migrant workers. Help takes various forms, including advice through a toll-free helpline, intervention and case management, medical care, transit cards and of course the free meals programme in the Cuff Road Project. The report for the year 2013 can

8 07, 2014

One third of male migrant workers aren’t paid what they’re due

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:29+08:00July 8th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

About one in three migrant workers are not paid what they are due, a survey by Transient Workers Count Too has found. However, even as two-thirds think they are correctly paid, about half of them actually have no means to verify that that is so. Only one in three foreign workers can be sure that

6 07, 2014

Two dollars per hour

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:30+08:00July 6th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Media Coverage, News|

In her column published 6 July 2014 in the Sunday Times, Radha Basu highlighted the fact that many foreign workers in Singapore are still being paid at the ridiculous rate of $2 per hour. In preparing her article, she was provided evidence of this by Transient Workers Count Too, in the form of a pay

9 06, 2014

Memorandum on required training for construction sector workers

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:31+08:00June 9th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

By John Gee In 2011, when looking into the costs Bangladeshis face in coming to work in Singapore’s construction industry, one of the expenses about which the research team asked workers was that of training. They quickly discovered that, though the workers had to pay significant amounts to training centres to gain skills that would qualify them to

31 05, 2014

“In Bangladesh, we don’t live like this”

alex2019-08-30T16:33:31+08:00May 31st, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

"Don't tell people address," says Kamal (not his real name). "I promise I won't," your writer assures him, honoured to be trusted enough by him and his room-mates to be shown the hovel where they live. We both know that this is illegal accommodation for foreign workers. But when workers are injured and in conflict

21 04, 2014

TWC2 calls for comprehensive bill on labour trafficking

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:32+08:00April 21st, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

TWC2 calls for practices of labour trafficking suffered by low wage migrant workers in all sectors of employment and foreign fishermen who dock in Singapore or on transit in the country to be addressed in the “Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill”. In a 17-page document submitted via email on 18 April 2014 to the address

13 04, 2014

Half of construction workers deployed outside their skill areas

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:33+08:00April 13th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

The report Training centres in Bangladesh have become money-minting machines (published September 2013) was based on research done in Dhaka. Drawing from anecdotal information, we asserted in the paper that "Most workers report that their Singapore jobs are unrelated to the skills they trained for." This anecdotal information was from workers whom Transient Workers Count Too

6 04, 2014

At the Cuff Road Project, injury cases more than doubled 2013 over 2011

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:33+08:00April 6th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

The number of injury cases seen at the Cuff Road Project more than doubled between 2011 and 2013, latest figures show. In 2011, our volunteers saw 807 injured workers; it shot up to 1,523 cases in 2012, and rose some more in 2013, to 1,791. However, the total numbers seen at our meal programme increased

6 04, 2014

Cuff Road Project 2013: Statistics

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:33+08:00April 6th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

The Cuff Road Food Programme is Transient Workers Count Too’s signature project. It provides free meals to migrant workers six days a week when they are injured or otherwise out of work and destitute. It also offers an important contact point between the organisation and those in need of help. Workers not only get nourishment,