Type of issue: salary & deduction
Five questions from reporters
Recently, journalists doing follow-up stories about Covid-19 have been reaching us with similar questions. For convenience, we will put our responses here.
Type of issue: salary & deduction
Recently, journalists doing follow-up stories about Covid-19 have been reaching us with similar questions. For convenience, we will put our responses here.
Selim and Kibria, not paid for their previous jobs, are looking for new ones. They talk about inescapable demands for money from agents, supervisors and bosses.
Sharif wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest in his room rather than go to work. As many employers of migrant workers do, a fine was to be imposed for absence.
TWC2 is seeing more laid-off workers joining our food programme, and they're coming from an industry sector flattened by Covid-19.
$2,000 is cheap as far as recruiters' fees go, but just as easily lost. Razzak's story is unfortunately as common as dirty money in the migrant labour market.
Sudeb recounts the many jobs he's had -- most ending in disappointment. He's been laid off, deceived, cheated of wages and now, injured. But he has fortitude.
With what looks like a policy change, worker's access to the Employment Claims Tribunal now appears to be seriously impeded by costs and uncertainty of process.
We felt that the Employment Claims Tribunal erred in two major areas in its ruling over Ali Liakat's salary claim. Leave to appeal was sought, but denied.
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.
In a media statement dated 13 April 2020 (links to short version and long version) we pointed out that an entire section of the Ministry of Manpower's Advisory on salary and leave arrangements during Circuit Breaker was not only unclear, but seemed to bless salary reductions for foreign workers. "Circuit Breaker" is the