Placement agents & fees

27 05, 2019

More of here, less of there: Increase in repeat workers and fat profits for the underground job broker in Singapore

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:43+08:00May 27th, 2019|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Media Coverage, News, Our Stand|

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.

28 04, 2019

Employer unafraid of workers taking salary claims to the authorities

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:43+08:00April 28th, 2019|Articles, Stories|

By L. Narasimhan based on an interview in March 2019 "I wander around the city, going from place to place trying to find a new job," says Sukhwinder Singh, when I ask him what he has been doing for the past three months. "I wake up in my apartment, eat at Gurudwara [temple], and then go

20 04, 2019

Having signed and thumbprinted his salary payment vouchers, Senthilkumar faced an uphill task proving his claim

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:44+08:00April 20th, 2019|Articles, Stories|

Senthilkumar's salary claim didn't end well for him. It went all the way to the Employment Claims Tribunal which found against him on 1 March 2019. In a nutshell, his claim was that the payment vouchers he was asked to sign (and add his thumbprint to) had amounts that didn't match the cash

16 04, 2019

Seven months, thirteen extensions, no progress

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:44+08:00April 16th, 2019|Articles, Stories|

By Avijit B, based on an interview in March 2019 Gafur has had a turbulent time since the day he arrived in Singapore. In the space of seven months, he went from the hope of steady work abroad to the frustration of being stuck without work and pay. Borrowing money from relatives to pay for

1 03, 2019

“Money finish,” and “everything selling” while waiting for a new job opportunity

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:30:44+08:00March 1st, 2019|Articles, Stories|

Most foreign workers in the construction industry are in their twenties. Volunteer Jeremy Xiao met a older man in January 2019, who spoke to him about the weight of his family responsibility and the struggle to land a job. Yet, some experiences are all the same whether for younger workers or older ones --

16 02, 2019

Are foreign workers abusing WIC claims?

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00February 16th, 2019|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

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

23 12, 2018

Here’s Shakil, who has worked in both Dubai and Singapore

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00December 23rd, 2018|Articles, Stories|

In Singapore, we rarely see workers who have worked in the Middle East before coming here. Why that is so probably involves complex reasons outside the scope of this article. Shakil is the unusual one. He spent five years in Dubai before coming to Singapore. We seize the opportunity to ask him to describe his

15 12, 2018

In-Principle Approval: uses and abuses 2011 – 2018, part 1

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:45+08:00December 15th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

Introduction This five-part series of articles throws a spotlight on the In-Principle Approval for a Work Permit (“IPA”), a key document in the import of foreign labour into Singapore. Behind the document is a process that, over time, has shown several weaknesses. What began as a document and process to better assure migrant workers that

26 11, 2018

Costs of low-waged labour migration: Difficulties, implications and recommendations

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:46+08:00November 26th, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

Unlike other studies that tend to be more focussed on a particular issue, e.g. recruitment costs or access to healthcare, this study takes a more inclusive approach, to look at the various costs of migration, as surfaced by migrant workers themselves in face-to-face interviews. It therefore reveals issues that may be missed by other studies,

22 11, 2018

Recruitment cost in some cases about 20 times monthly salary

webmaster2019-08-30T16:30:46+08:00November 22nd, 2018|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

In this article "$" represents the Singapore Dollar unless we specifically say otherwise, e.g."US$". It's been some time since we last wrote about recruitment costs. It's not a topic we should lose sight of. No progress is being made on this front, and high costs remain the chief reason why migrant workers cannot exert their