Interesting updates related to migrant worker issues
Thirteen workers died after falls from height during the first six months of the year, up from nine during the same period last year, reported the Straits Times on November 4, 2011. Falling from roofs led to three lives lost between January and June this year, compared with two for the whole of last year.
In answer to a question by People's Action Party backbencher Fatimah Lateef about housing male foreign workers, Minister of State for Manpower, Tan Chuan-jin said his ministry was expediting the construction of more dormitories. He also revealed that there were 670,000 male work permit holders at the present time. In Parliament, October 20, 2011:
By Spiegel A young man from Bangladesh was found hanged in his dormitory room in Kaki Bukit on Thursday, October 27, 2011, at about 6 p.m. Paramedics were called, but the man was pronounced dead. The Straits Times reported that he worked for "a company that deals with construction, repairs and interior decoration." However, TWC2's
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced that it plans to amend the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) to raise employment standards and the well-being of foreign workers. However, no details were announced in the statement released on October 11, 2011 – the ministry's addendum to the President's Address marking the opening of the new
A boss of a construction firm pleaded guilty on October 11, 2011, to ten charges of obtaining kickbacks from foreign employees. This was in violation of the law that prohibited employers of foreign workers from demanding or receiving any benefit for hiring them. Kenneth Lim Ong Long also pleaded guilty to making false declarations to
An employer who failed to pay wages to 73 foreign workers on time had his four-week jail sentence affirmed by an appeal court. The unpaid salaries ranged from two to seven months' worth. The Straits Times reported that Lee Chiang Theng, 58, sole director of Goldrich Venture and Gates Offshore, had pleaded guilty last year
Six persons -- five men and a woman -- were charged in court for failing to pay employees' salaries, reported the Straits Times on September 28, 2011. Jufri Saini, 47, faced the most charges - 136 of them -- among which were 42 for unauthorised deductions of $100 each from foreign workers to prevent them
The Ministry of Manpower announced on October 3, 2011, that charges will be increased for the application and issuing of Work Permits. The changes will effect from December 1, 2011. The new charges will be $20 to apply for a Work Permit, and $20 for the issuing of a Work Permit Currently, the fee for
By Spiegel The Straits Times reported October 1, 2011 that The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) had meted out fines amounting to more than $150,000 to 16 employment agencies for collectively fixing the pay of new Indonesian maids. Members of the group were each fined between $5,000 and $42,317. The CCS explained that the fines
Only four countries are in the list for now, and Singapore is not among them, reported the Straits Times, September 20, 2011. The four destinations are: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. It was stressed however, that the list is not final and Singapore could be added later. The originating source was Indonesian news
