By Gek Han In sixteen years of working in Singapore, Islam Aminur has been diligent and careful, working without an accident. But luck turned against him in December 2015. A heavy, 20kg block of metal fell on his thumb, necessitating surgery at the National University Hospital (NUH). Aminur was given 25 days medical leave ("MC"). Following procedure, he
“God’s grace is with me”, says Arjunan with a smile, as he awaits an arduous legal procedure for injury compensation By Ranjana Raghunathan Arjunan has worked in Singapore since 2008. After four years in a company, he joined the current company in November 2014. His job involved plastering and painting of ship parts, but the
By Katia Barthelemy Things were going fine for Mia Monir, 25, from Bangladesh: he tells me he has been working for Kim Heng Marine for four years already with no major complaints from his side. But Monir’s story took a dramatic turn on 10 March 2016, showing that life can take unexpected, nasty slips, even if one
By Eugene Teo Many migrant workers see working in Singapore as a breadwinning opportunity, but is it really? Uddin Mohi, 23, will probably tell you there are huge risks. Uddin worked at a painting and plastering company, S.A.E. & C (S) Pte Ltd, from April 2015 till November 2015. Of the eight months that he spent
By Mark Lamb Thursday, 5 May 2016. "An emergency" whisks through the room where we're convening to discuss communication plans for Transient Workers Count Too. My barometer perks up but it is no time for self-interest as this appears to be a serious matter and one of immediate urgency. In a calm but pressing voice,
By Eugene Teo On the evening of 19 October 2015, Huq Md Mynul showed up at our free meals programme. He was running a fever and had all the signs of chicken pox over his face and body. But he was also homeless. Transient Workers Count Too immediately put him into our emergency shelter. This
By Keani Vonge "Nine lakh fifty thousand," is what Hassan Raqibul says when we at TWC2 ask him how much he paid for the job in Singapore. That converts to S$16,400. About half of Hassan's total fee went to a training centre -- construction workers must acquire a skills certificate before they can get a
By Lee Zi Xin “I have nothing to do every day”, says Ahmmad, as he speaks to me about the long wait for closure of his injury compensation claim. It's been four months since the accident, and he has been out of work since. His relationship with his boss has deteriorated and his former workmates appear
Kamal gingerly opened a window, hoping it wouldn't make a noise. Heart pounding, he stepped out, trying not to look down. He was twelve floors up Block 601 Jurong West. With certain death should he miss a step, he made his way to the ground, never before so careful in his life. Hailing a taxi,
By Kan Ren Jie I ask Lutfor Rahman how he is, and I am struck by his frank answer: ‘I now very bad. Now no job, makan got problem.’ While Rahman initially appears cheerful when I sit down and talk with him at TWC2's free meals programme, laughing at some of our jokes about girlfriends,
