Economics of migration

20 08, 2014

Cost implications of government policies crucial to question of foreign worker accommodation

alex2019-08-30T16:33:05+08:00August 20th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Media Coverage, News, News Flash, Our Stand|

The Straits Times recently carried a story about foreign worker accommodation. Unfortunately, it didn't get to the heart of the matter: the way government policies affect cost and affordability considerations. The newspaper's 19 August 2014 story spoke about the rising number of vacancies at purpose-built dormitories. There are about 5,000 vacancies, said the story, though

13 08, 2014

They’re going on holiday together

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:05+08:00August 13th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

By Keith Wong I asked four friends when we were having a Friday night out whether they'd prefer to use a moving company that employed Bangladeshi workers or one that employed ex-convicts. There was no contest. All made it exceedingly clear they would choose the company that had Bangladeshi workers. "They're very hardworking," one said. "And

17 07, 2014

Get to the bottom of unfair maid placement fees

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:29+08:00July 17th, 2014|News, Our Stand|

This letter by TWC2 immediate past president John Gee was published in the Straits Times on 14 July 2014: ---- Get to the bottom of unfair maid placement fees The imposition of considerable placement costs on domestic workers by many employment agencies has, regrettably, been a common practice since 1998 ("Any breach of maids' fee

17 07, 2014

Why foreign workers are reluctant to raise pay issues

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:29+08:00July 17th, 2014|News, Our Stand|

A letter by Debbie Fordyce of TWC2 was published in the print section of the Straits Times 17 July 2014. It was a follow-on to a letter by Migrant Workers' Centre, which in turn was a response to an article by Radha Basu in the Sunday Times of 6 July. --- Why foreign workers are

14 07, 2014

Foreign worker levy and the release worker

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:29+08:00July 14th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

Foreign worker levy rates have been rising in recent years and the trend continues through 2014 and 2015. The present rate for unskilled construction workers who are hired beyond the employer’s MYE (Man Year Entitlement) rose from $750 to $950/month in July 2014, and will reach to $1050/month in July 2015. The Straits Times quotes

21 06, 2014

Migrant workers in Qatar – a personal perspective, part 1

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:33:31+08:00June 21st, 2014|Articles, Stories|

What's it like to live and work in Doha as a migrant worker? Jennifer and Steve Parenteau lived in Doha for six years, not as migrant workers but as expats, with some of the privileges such a life affords. As Jennifer says, "We were allowed to walk on the Corniche (the wharf) any time we

9 06, 2014

Two domestic workers sexually assaulted, part 1

alex2019-08-30T16:33:31+08:00June 9th, 2014|Articles, Stories|

The first hint was in the Phnom Penh Post: that Transient Workers Count Too was helping a domestic worker from Cambodia who said a member of the employer's family had sexually molested her. It's a relatively new pilot programme: bringing in domestic workers from Cambodia, and naturally there are many parties interested in watching how

9 06, 2014

Memorandum on required training for construction sector workers

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:31+08:00June 9th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, News, Our Stand|

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

13 04, 2014

Half of construction workers deployed outside their skill areas

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:33+08:00April 13th, 2014|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

The report Training centres in Bangladesh have become money-minting machines (published September 2013) was based on research done in Dhaka. Drawing from anecdotal information, we asserted in the paper that "Most workers report that their Singapore jobs are unrelated to the skills they trained for." This anecdotal information was from workers whom Transient Workers Count Too

2 04, 2014

Why the right to seek another job is important

webmaster2019-08-30T16:33:33+08:00April 2nd, 2014|News, Our Stand|

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