Placement agents & fees

12 09, 2016

The name of the devil is process: how regulatory process creates and sustains the disempowerment and injustices faced by migrant labour

webmaster2019-08-30T16:32:00+08:00September 12th, 2016|Articles, Happenings, News, Our Stand|

For a few years now, Transient Workers Count Too has been asked to give a talk to journalists gathered at the annual Asia Journalism Fellowship. The following videos are adapted from the talk that Alex Au gave on 8 September 2016. There were about 20 journalists in TWC2's Dayspace, from various Asian countries, Pakistan to

10 06, 2016

There are laws about salary payment and work permits, no?

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:02+08:00June 10th, 2016|Articles, Stories|

By Kan Ren Jie For many Singaporean employees, it would be unthinkable for our employers to stop paying our monthly salaries. Many of us are accustomed (and excited!) to see our bank balance increase every month like clockwork. However, this basic confidence is denied to many foreign workers. My conversations with two men, Ali Abbas

1 06, 2016

Research series: Recruitment costs

webmaster2020-01-30T19:17:14+08:00June 1st, 2016|Articles, Facts, research, analysis|

The great majority of transnational migrant workers pay money in order to obtain jobs in other countries. The charges are often exorbitant. Most of the money goes to middlemen: agents in their own country or in destination countries, local recruiters and training centres (which often function as middlemen institutions). Some money may also be paid

24 11, 2015

A Sri Lankan’s story – the blurry line between exploitation and trafficking

alex2019-08-30T16:32:22+08:00November 24th, 2015|Articles, Facts, research, analysis, Stories|

Transient Workers Count Too sees a relatively small number of Sri Lankans in the course of our work. There are far fewer of them in Singapore compared to Indians and Bangladeshis. Sri Lankans are an approved source for domestic work, construction and marine sectors, but except for women in the former, TWC2 can't recall seeing

20 11, 2015

Land reclamation worker’s salary just $227 a month

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:22+08:00November 20th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Jiang Haolie It is unthinkable to survive in Singapore earning just $227 a month, or $1.19 for every hour of backbreaking work. Bidut (not his real name), a reclamation worker is doing just that. For comparison, an indoor job at McDonalds would pay five to six dollars an hour; it would earn you Bidut's daily

16 11, 2015

In a soft voice, a tale of $10,000

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:22+08:00November 16th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Jas Talukder Joynal approaches me hesitantly, yet he does not strike me as a man of low self-esteem. Clad in a brightly coloured checkered shirt, with a good trendy fit, he definitely cares about his appearance. His face is one that has not yet been marked with the hardships of life and I am a little

31 10, 2015

“Please get going” — polite way for boss to tell worker he’ll be repatriated for getting medical leave

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:23+08:00October 31st, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Ranjana Raghunathan I ask Balasubramanian Mangaleswaran if he requested for medical treatment from his employer right after injuring his leg. He replies, “I asked them immediately, they just said that they would not pay for it.” He was told, “you must take care of it yourself.” This is against the law (see box at

17 08, 2015

Four men, picked at random, speak of low pay and hardship, part 2

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:25+08:00August 17th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

Continued from Part 1: By Rabin Kok I am happy for Ishaq. However, Nitai Chandra Sarker, my next interviewee, reminds me that many workers are far less lucky. Nitai does not sport a smile – only a blank, wistful look. Like Islam, he too paid 400,000 takas (about S$7,000) just to secure a job in

14 08, 2015

Four men, picked at random, speak of low pay and hardship, part 1

Volunteer Writing Team2019-08-30T16:32:25+08:00August 14th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

Rabin is a new volunteer doing his first interviews. At his first volunteering session, he was not expected to go for an in-depth story. Instead he was tasked to do quick interviews with a random pick of workers in order to gain a broad familiarity with the issues and the kind of broken English migrant

24 06, 2015

Quibbling about $20, checking every pocket

GuestContributor2019-08-30T16:32:28+08:00June 24th, 2015|Articles, Stories|

By Lee Min-wei In the wee hours of 3 June 2015, Juvy, a petite and soft-spoken Filipina domestic worker, mustered the courage to flee from her employer’s apartment. Leaving behind most of her belongings in a locked suitcase, she put what she could into a small tote and yellow plastic bag and took a taxi