News and opinions in the public domain and TWC2’s response
Chinese-language morning daily Lianhe Zaobao devoted a half page to Transient Workers Count Too in their edition of Monday, October 31, 2011. Describing TWC2 as an organisation that extends a helping hand to migrant workers, the story opened with an interesting, yet important perspective: That fair treatment of guest workers is not just a matter
For immediate release, 29 October 2011 Dr Vincent Wijeysingha has resigned of his own accord from his position as Executive Director of TWC2 with effect from 30 October 2011. The Executive Committee understands that he wishes to pursue other paths and areas of interest, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
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
Sunday Times, October 9, 2011, had a full-page feature about an issue that TWC2 has also noticed to be increasing in frequency -- doctors in private practice giving workers who have been injured in workplace accidents just two day's medical leave. The newspaper story headlined 'Lost part of finger, 2 days' MC' begins with Wang
International news network CNN carried a story titled Debts and dreams: Singapore's migrant workers on October 7, 2011. See http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/07/business/singapore-migrants/index.html. Opening with a scene from TWC2's Cuff Road Project -- our daily soup kitchen -- the 1,600-word story focuses on the way male migrant workers are exploited and abused, touching on key issues such as
John Gee responded to a letter in the October 4, 2011 edition of the Straits Times: Dear ST, Madam Chua Lai Keow certainly had a bad experience with her domestic worker who became pregnant, but this should not be seen as a reason for denying domestic workers days off when they can go out. Many
This is the unedited version of a letter sent to the editor of Straits Times Forum on September 30, 2011, in relation to an article that appeared in the paper the same day (see summary): Dear ST, It is good to see that action is being taken against employers who fail to pay workers' salaries
