Young woman meets toothless tiger
A young woman's year in Singapore is spent exploring the toothlessness of Singapore regulators.
21
03, 2026
6
02, 2026
Business Times Op-ed: how sustainable is Singapore’s low-wage migrant labour model?
Last October, the Business Times carried a commentary on the sustainability of our migrant labour model. We add our views.
26
01, 2026
When egg tarts and coffee leave a bitter taste
Lots of migrant workers can be found in our F&B sector, but the exploitative working conditions are terrible, despite nice laws.
15
01, 2026
Despite kickbacks and salary non-payment, worker fears that getting justice is too costly
It first began with the employer cutting out the agent (to the worker's advantage), but it actually was a sign that the employer couldn't be trusted to honour the contract.
5
12, 2025
Parliamentary questions, September 2025, part 3 (Change of Employer letters)
Migrant workers with valid employment claims have the right to switch employers. MOM issues letters to facilitate this. How many workers got such letters, and succeeded?
3
12, 2025
Parliamentary questions, September 2025, part 2 (Training Employment Passes)
Responding to Parliamentary questions, MOM provides quite a few numbers relating the the abuse of the Training Employment Pass.
2
12, 2025
Parliamentary questions, September 2025, part 1
Many questions from MPs: about primary healthcare, kickbacks, working without work passes and the Household Services Scheme.
21
11, 2025
Singapore opens S-Pass jobs to illiterate rickshaw pullers
A group of construction workers with no experience, no training and no skills were hired on S-Passes with salaries over $3,000 a month. This was no accident. When they were not paid, there was no safety net for them.
31
10, 2025
Seven joyless workers, part 2
Seven workers recruited by the extended family of a husband-and-wife couple based in Singapore paid $9,000 each to get jobs jere. Big salaries promised, then stopped altogether.
24
08, 2025
In principle, they are translated
The IPA is a key document informing workers of the terms of employment notified to MOM. But what if it's all Greek to them?