Type of issue: changing jobs without repatriation
MOM announced a temporary retention scheme to keep laid-off construction workers in Singapore. Six workers kept us informed of their experience while waiting for new jobs.
MOM gave this figure in a parliamentary reply. It's only a topline number. Look beneath it and it's a scene of buzzing flies.
In a historic move, Qatar abolished its kafala system in August 2020. Workers can now change jobs without having to get permission from current employers.
Covid-19 stats from India and Bangladesh don't look good. Expect ti to remain difficult to bring workers from there. That means those who are already here should be allowed to stay.
It's too simplistic to speak in terms of iron-clad job security, but a lot more can be done to help migrant workers with career longevity and financial security. Start with recruitment costs.
Improvement in housing should be only one element in a broader reforms, if we are to arrive at a more ethical relationship with migrant labour. Job restrictions, low salaries, etc, must also be addressed.
An essay based on a talk given by Alex Au at a Labour Day webinar organised by Maruah in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic that badly affected migrant workers in Singapore.
In this research study, TWC2 found that about 80% of South Asian workers were "repeat workers", a huge change from a few years ago. We also found that about half of them used a Singapore-based job broker to find a job. Typically, these are foreign workers themselves, not licensed employment agents. It's illicit but profitable.
In January 2019, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sought public feedback on some proposed amendments to the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). As TWC2 sees over a thousand cases a year of work injury among foreign workers, this matter is germane to our work. MOM's proposals centre chiefly around these themes: 1. Medical leave
By Debbie Fordyce The first graph (below) suggests that a disproportionate number of Indian and Bangladeshi migrant workers lodge injury claims within the first six months of starting a job. Moreover, TWC2's observation is that many of these injuries are minor and result in little compensation or will heal completely, thus meriting no disability compensation
