Two workers in quick succession come by and share with us the absurdities of migrant worker lives. But beneath the hilarity lurks the beast that devours all: recruitment cost.
A Chinese worker showed us videos of the bakery where he was employed. We were mortified. He was determined to bring the matter to light. Thank goodness for his courage.
Murugesan went to MOM to complain about unpaid salary. For months thereafter, he thought that the officer there would be helping to recover his owed wages. In fact, MOM was investigating something, but whatever it was, it didn’t necessarily include getting his wages back for him. TWC2 had to help him get his salary case back on track.
Billal is thrown into confusion when he hears that his "boss not accept" his injury. He was clearly injured and was taken by an ambulance to a hospital. How can this be not accepted?
Mohatab showed TWC2 two IPA documents he had in hand. Both named him as the worker and had the same dates. But the employers were different as were the salary details. Another scam!
A hotel advertised itself in India to jobseekers. Someone sent us the name of the hotel. We tried to book a room.
When a worker has paid a huge amount to get a job, he cannot afford to lose that job and will thus be vulnerable to unreasonable, exploitative demands by the employer. How huge is huge?
Is there a way for governments to regulate trans-national fee-charging? Is it too convenient to plead jurisdictional limitations, and do nothing?
After release from prison, how are overstayers going to survive? Of course they'll look for underground work again.
Mazumder's saga began 24 months ago. In it, two employers appear to have gotten off scot-free for not paying his salary.
