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
By Liang Lei, based on an interview in October 2017 Running into unexpected trouble overseas is often inconvenient and frustrating – even seasoned travellers among us would readily testify to this. Language barriers, differences in culture and unfamiliarity with foreign administration often confuse us and increase the chances of making mistakes. It must be incomparably
By Jiang Zhi Feng, based on an interview in October 2017 For ten years as a Bangladeshi migrant worker in Singapore, Hossain Awlad has only been back home three times. He misses home. He misses his wife, his mother, and his relatives. The last time he saw them was in 2013. He calls his wife
TWC2 volunteer discussing the news story with Bangladeshi workers at the Cuff Road Project In a promising development, the Ministry of Manpower has successfully prosecuted a Bangladeshi worker who acted as a job broker and who had pocketed some $30,900 in illicit profit. Roy Tapon Kumar pleaded guilty and was fined $30,000. This
By Janson Chang, based on an interview in September 2017 Remo (not his real name) is one man among many as he sidles forward in the queue to have his meal card stamped. He doesn’t say much, and is about to head off after receiving the stamp – till a closer look at his Special
