In recent weeks, TWC2 came across two workers with contracts they felt compelled to sign after they had begun working in their companies. They felt volated by the unfair terms imposed on them.
Although a stern warning is not supposed to affect "legal rights, interests, or liabilities" we found that it's not quite true when issued to migrant workers. The effects therefore constitute punishment without due process.
When the construction industry faced a severe manpower shortage due to Covid-19 border closures, a funny thing happened to recruitment costs. Knowing the phenomenon would be ephemeral, a snapshot study was conducted.
On 24 June 2022, MOM retired the Exit Pass system and workers could go out freely. And still workers were calling TWC2 saying they were confined. What does this say about policy effectiveness?
Months into 2022, Special Pass holders remained stuck in dorms even as more and more Work Permit holders were allowed to go out. What about getting the press to highlight this injustice?
We ask two workers to describe what exactly were the barriers they faced when they needed to leave their dorms. A third worker shares a screenshot of a WhatsApp exchange.
Through her two months with us, our intern spoke with many workers complaining about being confined in their dorms. She shares her reflections here.
Over 300,000 migrant workers were locked down in their dormitories in April 2020. They would not be allowed to go out for leisure until 17 months later, when a tiny trickle were allowed out.
Singapore's construction labour force is characterised by a noticeable stratification by nationality. A study by a former TWC2 volunteer throws light on one reason why.
Many Singaporeans, even though well meaning, think that migrant worker issues would be solved if only we "integrated" them better into Singapore society. Is that really a priority for migrant workers themselves?
