By Tristan Powell-Odden, based on an interview in December 2017 Hasan Tamim has been seven months without work as a result of an accident. Not only was he not fully paid his salary before the incident, he has not received proper financial support from his employer since -- despite the law requiring the employer to
By Alston Ng, based on an interview in December 2017 Pressing against the table and straining to be heard, Majumder Dilip Kumar (above left) recounts how he came to live off the goodwill of friends for the past two months. A note of morose resignation is unmistakable; he does not see the proverbial light at
Isaac (L) and Anowar (R) By Isaac Ong, based on an interview in November 2017 Anowar arrived in Singapore for his current job with Akilas Enterprise in late 2016, working for several months without issues. In June this year, however, life changed drastically. He tells us that he was not called to work,
By Alex, based on an interview in November 2017 "Why are you still in Singapore?" I ask Sarkar Debabrata. He is showing me a Special Pass dated 19 January 2017 -- ten months old -- which allows him to remain in Singapore until his case at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is concluded. Yet, in his
By Isaac Ong, based on an interview in November 2017 "This is my wrong but I don't want pay [you] money. Even if I go jail, [even if] I no company, but I still don't want pay money", Rafa (not his real name) was told by his boss. 49-year-old Rafa is practically a veteran of
By Aaron Chua, based on an interview in November 2017 "Hello," says Bhimol* to TWC2 volunteer Alex Au, just as Alex is arriving at The Cuff Road Project's meal station. "I come back," adds Bhimol. "Huh? Come back from where?" asks Alex. "[Last] Friday, I come back. New job." "Ah," says Alex, but before he
By Jiang Zhi Feng, based on an interview in November 2017 “Fall down how?” a concerned Miah asked his company’s supervisor about precariousness of mending a pipe two metres above ground without a safety hook. His supervisor replied, “Nothing one. No problem. Can do,” directing him to carry out orders. On 22 September 2017, Miah
Saiful shows us the wrist which has a steel implant By Tan Yen Seow, based on an interview in November 2017 Islam Saiful, 32, is my first interviewee at TWC2. He is a Bangladeshi national who has been working in Singapore on a Work Permit for the past ten years. Judging from his
Shamim (above) recounts a meeting he had at another coffee shop By Troy Lee, based on two interviews in October 2017 Shamim paints a picture of how he got his latest job. In the second half of 2016, while he was happily in his previous job, "I meet his man, Basir, at a
FOREWORD: For years, Transient Workers Count Too has been speaking out against the revolving door practices behind Singapore's foreign labour. At the slightest unhappiness, employers are quick to send workers home and recruit fresh new faces. Why do they do this? Because they can. Singapore law gives employers total discretion when to terminate employees, there's
