News and opinions in the public domain and TWC2’s response
Released yesterday by the Manpower Ministry, new statistics revealed a jump in construction-related deaths this year – 17 in the first half, with eight cases in January alone, up from 11 in the same period last year. Major injury cases also leaped 15 percent this period from last year to 71 cases. TODAY reported (Building
Ambulance set ablaze. Photo: Straits Times Media Statement For immediate release, 3 July 2014 TWC2’s response to the COI Report on the Little India Riot TWC2 wishes to make three points in response to the Report on the Little India Riot issued 30 June 2014 by the Committee of Inquiry (COI): I) TWC2
Ambulance set ablaze. Photo: Straits Times The Committee of Inquiry on the Little India Riot made its Report public on 30 June 2014. Much of the report deals with the particulars of the incident (that occurred after 9pm on 8 December 2013) which do not have much relation to the work and mission
There is an increasing interest among social media groups in featuring foreign workers, the important roles they play in Singapore and the hardships they suffer. Here is one from SPAM media:
By John Gee In 2011, when looking into the costs Bangladeshis face in coming to work in Singapore’s construction industry, one of the expenses about which the research team asked workers was that of training. They quickly discovered that, though the workers had to pay significant amounts to training centres to gain skills that would qualify them to
A director of a construction company was fined $20,000 for taking money from his foreign workers. Demanding and accepting such kickbacks is illegal. Lin Pinghe 54, took the money from twenty workers from China in 2011, reported the Straits Times in its story on 3 June 2014 (pictured above). He pleaded guilty at the hearing.
We, the undersigned, are alarmed by the recent surge of racism and xenophobia in Singapore. They threaten the human rights of all (especially migrants) and the health of our political conversation. The key to addressing the economic frustrations felt by many Singaporeans is to amend the economic policies and structures that cause worsening economic inequality
TWC2 calls for practices of labour trafficking suffered by low wage migrant workers in all sectors of employment and foreign fishermen who dock in Singapore or on transit in the country to be addressed in the “Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill”. In a 17-page document submitted via email on 18 April 2014 to the address
A key plank in Transient Workers Count Too's advocacy is that of untying a work permit holder from his employer, and allowing him (or her) job mobility. Naturally, even as he seeks alternative employment, only employers who have the requisite work permit quota will be able to employ him. We recognise that the quota (known
In 2013, over 90 percent of TWC2's spending went towards charitable activities, benefitting our clients in a relatively direct way. We spend little on overheads, reflecting a philosophy of frugality we are proud of. Total expenditure in the year was $481,139, leaving us with a surplus of $254,755 from the year's income of $735,894. About
