Our laws invest employers with a lot of power over foreign workers. But laws also give workers rights, Bosses can be so intoxicated with power, they get carried away.
Exploitation of workers is not a result of ignorance on their part. When even experienced workers are unable to control their fate, there's something wrong with the system.
Kumar speaks English fluently and he, of all people, should be able to interact with MOM directly over his injury claim, but he still engages a lawyer. Why?
"Who do you think profitted from the $5,000 you paid to get the job?" we ask Abjal. He's pretty sure the boss got half of it. The other half?
What's it like to arrive in Singapore, take your first meal here and be confronted with a crowded dorm? Jan Shak Mohabbat recounts his first memories here.
What do the law and guidelines say about wrongful dismissal? Does the operational process breathe life into the law and guidelines, or smother them?
One week after starting work, Monoar was presented with a demand for a two-year bond and salary deduction. He refused to agree. He was then fired.
The work permit application submitted by the new employer to MOM included a salary deduction that was never agreed with Johirul. The worker objected. He lost the job.
Many young men in Bangladesh dream of coming to Singapore. We ask Masud what were his impressions when he first came.
Transfer jobs for migrant workers are plentiful now, as borders are closed. Some laid-off workers still prefer to go home. Why?
