PRESS RELEASE by TWC2 and HOME:
Migrant Rights Groups Urge Greater Efforts to Assist Foreign Workers Affected by the Economic Downturn
We would like to commend the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for the actions that they have taken to bring Tipper Corp, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd, S1 Engineering and UPNB Engineering Pte Ltd to task for the ill-treatment and exploitation of almost 1000 workers under their employment.
From the cases that we have handled since the economic downturn started, we have noticed that many foreign workers, particularly those in the marine sector, have been badly hit. In the past four months alone, TWC2 has met with 800 workers employed by several companies in the marine sector who have not had access to work since being brought into Singapore or have been abandoned by their employers and sub-contractors and have not been paid their due salaries. Similarly, since the middle of 2008, HOME has seen up to 300 shipyard workers who were out of work and not paid their due wages. These workers also complained of poor housing, lack of food and neglect by their employers when they were ill. Many did not have money to see the doctor when they were in need of medical attention.
While welcoming MOM’s measures to address the problems of the Tipper Corp workers, we urge the Ministry to take additional steps to ensure that these workers, and other foreign workers who are similarly affected by the economic downturn, be adequately compensated.
Laudably, MOM has allowed the workers to seek a change of employer, but this will be difficult given the scarcity of jobs available in the marine sector. Moreover, we have seen many cases of workers who have not been given work or only given sporadic work in Singapore and who are compensated with an amount well below the full wages due to them. For example, it is not uncommon for the workers to be compensated with only half of their wages for the days on which they have had no access to work. In addition, during the resolution period, workers continue to be charged the full costs of food provided to them, which can run up to $130 per month. This can result in situations where workers who have been in Singapore for five months without access to work and who have been promised $17 per day (excluding overtime) return home with only $310 in their pockets instead of $1390. This is grossly unfair given that it is not the fault of the worker that he had no access to employment. These are workers who have entered the country legally and were granted an entitlement to work under MOM policies.
Many of these foreign workers pay up to SGD10,000 to find work in Singapore. Being shortchanged of their wages may tempt these workers to overstay and work illegally, which would make them vulnerable to further exploitation. The economic recession might also lead to an increase in labour trafficking: unscrupulous employment agents, in collaboration with their counterparts in Singapore, may dupe workers into believing there are sufficient jobs for them in Singapore, when there may be none at all, just to profit from the exorbitant recruitment fees charged to these workers.
Acknowledging these problems, we would like to propose the following:
1. Foreign workers who have lost their jobs and have not had access to employment through no fault of their own, including those affected by the actions of Tipper Corp, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd, S1 Engineering Pte Ltd and UPNB Engineering Pte Ltd, should also be compensated for the remaining periods of the validity of their work permits in addition to the full wages due to them for the period they are in Singapore. If the employer does not have enough resources, the money can be taken from the levies that the employers have paid for each worker under their employ.
2. As a deterrent, MOM should revise the penalties for failure to pay wages on time. Currently, employers who are guilty of such an offence face a maximum fine of $5,000 or up to six month’s jail or both for each case. This penalty should be revised and be at least on par with the penalty for non-payment of the levy which is a maximum fine of $15,000, jail for up to a year or both for each case. In addition to the fine and jail sentence, the employer should also be made to pay the full wages due to the worker.
3. MOM should be more stringent and rigorous in approving the applications of all work permits. With the current economic climate, the likelihood of foreign workers being laid off and repatriated is high: this will have serious consequences for the livelihood of these workers and their families. In addition to proving that they have sufficient projects as currently stipulated by MOM, main contractors and sub contractors must also be required to produce documentary proof that they have sufficient resources to pay workers adequately, on time, and have secured decent and government-approved accommodation.
4. MOM should work with the governments of sending countries to set up a mechanism to monitor the recruitment channels of their respective countries and in Singapore. This is to ensure that workers are not overcharged or duped by labour agents. There is a need for all governments concerned to do more to try to inform workers of the charges and fees that they might be legitimately be expected to pay as a result of the process of recruitment and placement.
5. MOM should introduce measures to conduct exit interviews at immigration points to curb cases of forced repatriation by employers who resort to this measure to evade their responsibilities in the upkeep, maintenance and well-being of workers.
6. NTUC affiliates should boost their recruitment of foreign workers so that in the event of a layoff, these workers will be better protected. More attention should be paid to the unionisation of workers in small and medium enterprises. Workers in SMEs are especially vulnerable since it is such businesses that often find it more difficult to weather the effects of an economic recession.
———-
For more information, please contact:
Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)
5001, Beach Road
#06-27, Golden Mile Complex
Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (H.O.M.E)
304 Orchard Road #06-22 Lucky Plaza
——–
Penalties only enrich the government. Use the levies to compensate the workers. Nice words don’t work.
One question:
The security bond – why not change the law to pay the $5000 security bond to the foreign workers if employers terminate employment in cases like this i.e. sending workers home because of no work.
Yes, it is time the govt use the levy collected over the years to take care and protect these migrant workers, ensure they have a reasonable quality of life before they are repatriated back to their homeland.
The Singapore govt collected all these money off the backs of these foregin workers.
It is the only right thing to do to give back.
Are there really no Singaporeans who do their jobs? Do FW have to come here to get stuck in a rut?
The directors or management of these companies should be made personally accountable for the fate of these workers.
Otherwise these bosses will just wind up some of the smaller hiring companies, such as sub-contractors or cleaning companies, and escape all liabilities since they are private limited. Subsequently, they just open up new companies and resume business, “clean”.
Hi all,
TWC2 & Home have been doing marvellous on behalf of migrant and foreign workers who have been abused by their employers.
If we were in the same shoes as these workers, we would welcome help of such agencies too!
I have donated to their causes and so should you ( if you can).
My endorsement is totally unsolicited and voluntary.
Best wishes
Hi TOC
i am also jobless. earning not even a measly $600. in fact, earning $0 a month for months now. am a singaporean and many bills to pay and pay. sent numerous job applications. zero response.
when will it be our turn ? when will TOC write some articles for also jobless workers like citizen workers?
regards
joe the unemployed
Dear Joe,
Would you like to pen an article for us about your experience?
Please do drop us an email at: theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
Thanks.
Dr Huang,
Yes, the folks at TWC2 and HOME are doing an awesome job. I would encourage everyone to pay them a visit to find out what they do and perhaps to volunteer with them as well.
I visited HOME yesterday at Desker Road and the place was filled with foreign workers – perhaps seeking help from HOME. (By the way, HOME has 3 offices.)
Given the limitations of manpower and funding, the folks at HOME and TWC2 are truly angels among the desperate.
Foreign workers know full well what they signed for. Charity begins at home.
It is questionable whether the foreign workers have S$10,000 to begin with. Sad case but no one could predict such a down turn.
Let the company pay for their plane ticket home as soon as possible. S’pore is getting too crowded.
To: Take care of Singaporeans first
Actually many workers were forced to sign unfavourable contracts when they arrive in Singapore, so your statement is unqualified.
And judging by the recent story on Chinese workers by Alex Au of Yawning Bread, it seems that MOM is culpable in “closing one eye” on these errant contracts.
There are so many issues arising from this foreign workers saga; and we are discovering them day by day. It begs the question; why has this been allowed to reach the stage that it is now?
There have been suggestions that our civil servants have either been sitting on their jobs, or; practically sleeping them over. This is a huge stain on the impeccable reputation of our civil service, something which we have been made to believe in.
I qualify my observation by drawing your attention to the remarks made by our Labour Movement deputy, Mdm Halimah Yacob, when she commented that “This is quite unexpected …….
How can she ever make such a remark unless she has been misled into believing that this is a problem created by the unforeseen economic downturn? Did she bothered to find out the truth before making such a comment? It’s the same problem with our civil service, just believing in what they thought is right to believe in. The laziness and lack of initiatives to look deeper into each problem is one of the main contributing factor of this mess reaching its out-of-hand proportions.
If Mdm Halimah had dug further into the hearsay, or, presumptions, she would have discovered that the problem had already shown its face much earlier, before the downturn hit us; as described in this article;
‘ In the past four months alone, TWC2 has met with 800 workers ‘
and,
‘ Similarly, since the middle of 2008, HOME has seen up to 300 shipyard workers who were out of work and not paid their due wages. These workers also complained of poor housing, lack of food and neglect by their employers when they were ill.‘
The problem is not “unexpected” as she had commented.
It is still not too late to bring justice to the treatment and abuse of these workers. The government must now step in to address this issue because, not only is the reputation and image of the country at stake, but also, that of its civil and elected public servants too.
Most of all, the common Singaporean has come under severe condemnation and criticism for allowing such abuses and treatments to take place right in front of their noses, without doing anything.
The steps recommended above is a small step in the right direction and must be effected as soon as possible.
On top of this, there must be a blacklist that is made known to all potential foreign workers seeking employment in SG, so as to provide them the information they need to know, before signing up with these agents and companies. This will go a long way to helping them make informed decisions and limit all potential risks.
Try clicking here, or here
You’ll need to wait between 5 and 8 seconds for the film to load.
I don’t think it is TOC that is hindering your access. It could be your server.
10) Take care of SIngaporean first
I agree with you that “Charity begins at home”. I believe TOC ‘s next topic would be about the poor in Singapore. Please join the TOC crew to uncover stories of the plight of poor Singaporeans as a volunteer.
We should practice what we preach. :)
hugs
I believe a proper deterrence for the subcontractors found deliberately cheating would be DOUBLE fine of what they profit per worker. If I am fined only, say 10k, for a scam that I profit 100k from, then it makes sense that I would still do it nontheless
> 15) Zefly (aka Joshua Chiang) on January 16th, 2009 1.38 pm
>I agree with you that “Charity begins at home”. I believe TOC ’s next topic would be
>about the poor in Singapore
Can you please donate 10% of your montlhy salary to me and also pay my handphone and internet bills? Please. Thank you very much.
Please also ask your brother or sister or friend to also donate to my cousin.
I want charity,
what do you want? Do you want to eat at hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant? Please kindly email your monthly payslip and we will decide if you qualify for donation. :)
hugs
Jobless Singaporean with a ordinary degree will had very hard time getting a job when he pass certain. Reasons are as follows
1) Foreign Talent Engineers E-pass with PHDs in Computer Science only get
$2500 so much younger and willing to work long hours
2) If you compete with S-pass $1800 doing Technician Jobs, the employer will
doubt are you sincere.
3) Had can you compete with Work Permit of $600 and don’t pay our gov $300.
All Dirty Job require this people and the uncle aunty had difficult time.
All this are due to PAP Gov Policies
Few Type donlt affect – Profession Laywers, Accountant and Doctor registered
– PAP gov Civil Service but they cut off Age at below30
and quite no on contract basis
– Do you own business but aware of market and cost.
Singaporean Mentality was always trained to be employees and be yes man since young. So is difficult to change and so many are facing the same problem.
Pls give feedback how we can improved the situiations! Is Gov really going to help us as Stated and after retrained is it sure to get a job of 2500 for minimum
standard of living
How to assist them when we are already in deep shit?
The only way to assist them is to tell them not to try their luck here and go elsewhere .And to prevent further claim of exploitation of migrant workers,seems that the best way is for MOM to stop them from coming .That is the only way to assist them becos we are getting more and more so call Humanitarian professional to help them.Many ,especially maids are spoilt before they come here.My previous maid left my home secretly at night and seek shelter at HOME just because I speak dialect to my visiting relatives at home.
And we also have many hypocrites who blame FWs for taking away jobs that local shunned,but quick to jump the gun and blame our local Sinagpore employers when the FWs claim to be exploited.
My grandfather also came to Singapore many years ago .He know coming to Nanyang is for a better future but at a risk.He don’t complain. We are poor,we are over taxed ,we are surpressed but we call it fate.
Having too many so call Human right Organisation will only spoil them.Who ask them to come here?The employer pointing a gun at their forehead?Yes they spend thousand of dollars ,selling their land,loan from loanshark etc but isn’t that the same stories that we hear .Even the Geylang girls also have a standard story to tell.
Dun forget some of you have a maid at home and was also an employer too.
Dun blame MOM ,dun blame the employer.pls do a favour …tell them there are no more gold in Singapore.Pardon me if I appear to be offensive.
20) Let their respective embassies take care of them
I hope you don’t mean what you say, if not that will be flames coming after you.
So are you trying to say that we shouldn’t show some care to these workers who also help to contribute to our economy. I do agree that they spoil the competition for local workers, but they don’t deserve to be treated by some companies like this.
I asked a Singapore employment agent, “Why does the foreign worker from China have to take a loan of $9,000 to come to Singapore?”
The cost of flying here and other expenses is probably only $3,000.
He told me this “secret” which was not generally known before. The Singapore employer ask the recruitment agents to “bid” for the job. The recruiting agent has to pay, say $3,000 to the employer. The agent adds on his expenses and profit margin and charges, say, $5,000 to the China recruiting agent.
The China recruiting agent adds on to his cost and air fare. Hence, the worker has to pay say $9,000 for the right to come to work in Singapore. The first year is to earn enough money to pay back the loan. They hope to stay longer and earn money for the family.
It is immoral for the employer to pocket the $3,000 or whatever is the going price. It is possible that some bogus contracting companies are set up with the intent to get permit for foreign workers. Each foreign worker allows them to earn a large sum of money. After the worker arrives, the so-called employer does not provide them to work, quoting economic downturn or other reasons.
The Government should make it an offense for an employer to receive any money to recruit a foreign worker. This is a similar situation to a pimp that receives money on the sex trade – which is why pimping is a crime.
Hi #19) agongkia,
You have your points and they are valid and especially with the current downturn, it is unavoidable, that it has become a case of every man for himself.
I say you are right, and I say this because if we go by simple logic, then it is a risk these fws were willing to take; and they loss.
Your first paragraph suggested that MOM is in the best position to stop them from coming over, and I think there are some of us who also agree with this suggestion; and; it is also good for you to know, that our dear Halimah has also recommened this, when she claimed she was misquoted by the Shit Times reporter (ST 16/01/09).
It is partly for this reason that some of us are calling out to MOM, to explain why it did not find it necessary to stop this influx , when complaints started filling in to the institution, way back in the beginning of 2008? This is just one question we seek to understand, not because we want better protection for FWs over protection of locals.
The reason we want protection for every human worker is very simply based on humanitarian grounds. No human would want to wish ill on another, nor do we encourage one human to walk away from another, when help is to be rendered.
You made a good point of comparing the migration of our forefathers with these fws seeking a better life. Let us not forget that our forefathers had to deal with a different social climate where mostly everyone standing next to another is illiterate, and it was a battle for survival on a daily basis.
Today, education is the key factor in Singapore’s progress, and while the country; as claimed, has progressed into first world stature; why then, has the same education, not made us a better people in the area of EQ?
The call to show better treatment to our fellow human kind; foreign although they may be; is simply based on the need for human beings to show love and compassion to one another.
Indeed, we, the locals, do have our own concerns with the situation the way it is now; but it does not; should not, make us into cold hard creatures; very unlike the human beings that we are.
I find that the whole problem boils down to poor implementation of MOM policies and failure to exercise control and take punitive measures when necessary.
So far, the govt is being very hard on anyone going out of the law espicially when we are late in paying TC fees, PUB bills or even telecoms bills. After two month,s the red bill will come automatically and by the third month you are hit with some legal penalty.
I tis thus surprising that MOM is slow to react as for the past two years, workers have being go to the MOM office to complaint about late payment of wages.
Maybe because the press reported so many cases that MOM decides to take action against errant employers.
All along, I find that our country’s labour laws favour the employers even th the point of being discriminatory.
I have to threaten legal action against at least 2 firms when i worked here for late payment of my wages. Needless to say, when it comes to that level, i have decided to left the company.
Besides going to Case or asking a lawyer to help you recover lost wages, there is nothing much that one can do.
I am unsure how successful Case is in comsumer complaints though lately they have champion that they are pretty successful in solving such disputes.
Maybe the MOM has to really revamp the issue of hiring of FWs or else our name will go down the drain. It is a shame for all of us to see how FWs can be so easily cheated under the glare of the authorities’ eyes.
#22)Germami
Thanks for reading. Agree .Every human being should be treated equally and there is no question about it.Because I am also a human being,I view these not only from most contributors’ angle but from another point of view.A view of a worker and the employer.
The recent case of 170 FWs had been look into.Employer are dealt with by the MOM .Job could have been reassign .What else do we expect MOM to do?
If ,i say if ,the said employer is financially unsound and is unable to pay up.What else do we expect these employers to do?Do we need to force those local employers to jump down from the 10th storey to prove that they really cannot pay up?Isn’t that inhumane too?
The 2 Human Organisation and those supporters.You helped the FWs.You spoke for them.You want them to get back their salary.You had done your part.I salute you all .But if no one speak on behalf of the FWs’ employer.That does mean the employer do not have a story to tell .
So I say,if there are no more job for FW,MOM can consider to stop issuing future work permit till the need arises.Whats the point of allowing these FWS here to take away our local jobs,resulting in our aunties and uncles loitering aimlessly at the void deck and on the other hand allow others to say that we are exploiting or abusing them?
Uncle and Aunties can continue getting job.
Those humanitarian professional will thus need less volunteers.This is thus a win win situation.
23)Gilbert
For late payment of wages you need not go to the extend of threathening legal action against your employers.No need to go CASE or looking for a lawyer.Just go to MOM to lodge a report .
Sorry to hear that you have late payment of wages with ‘at least 2 firms’.No wonder your feeling of employers is always there.There are many good employers out there too and I hope you dun take it too emotionally.
23)Gilbert
My apology.I wish to add that I agree with most of your points except your impression on employers.
#21 Tan Kin Lian
Hi Mr. Tan,
I agree that allowing the employer to pocket $3K to employ a foreign worker is a loophole that should be fixed. It is a loophole because the employer should only generate profit from his or her business, not from recruiting (unless the business is recruitment).
But I think your comparison with a pimp in a sex trade is too harsh and not entirely relevant. I’m not sure if it is legal to be involved in a sex-trade even if the pimp does not make receive any money.
Doing business or acting as a middle-man in itself is not immoral. Unethical businesses are illegal.
Hi #24) agongkia,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I do agree that we have to also look at angles other than that of the migrant worker.
You are also right that we ought to put in place measures that ensure these fws are not brought in for other purposes other than filling those positions that cannot be filled by locals.
I believe this has been the constant and consistent call by some commentators here. This is one of the further step that MOM can and should do to prevent similar incidences of abuses.
On the point you raised when you asked; “if the employer is financially unsound and is unable to pay up.
What else do we expect these employers to do?”.
The straight answer is; “why is the employer allowed to employ these workers in the first place if the employer is finalcially unsound?”.
Let me point out that I do not believe that these companies cannot have suddenly become financially unsound. We are looking at reports that say these workers were not paid for months on ends. If they are financially unsound, then the continued employment of these workers cannot but amounts to exploitation, at the least. Why were they made to work for what the company cannot pay? This is where and why the employer-employee equation becomes wrong.
No one is asking anybody to jump from high buildings.
You commented: “if there are no more job for FW, MOM can consider to stop issuing future work permit till the need arises. Whats the point of allowing these FWS here to take away our local jobs, resulting in our aunties and uncles loitering aimlessly at the void deck “.
A few points to make here. MOM can and must stop issuing EP for the moment because there is no more job for the fw. Since there is no more job, then there is no question of the fw taking away the jobs of the uncles or the aunties, right? So, you point on these uncles and aunties walking in the void decks cannot be attributed to this.
So tell me, where will the uncles and aunties’ jobs come from; as your equation of a win-win remedy suggests?
Coming back to the topic at hand; it is about the humanitarian aspect of caring for the exploited migrant worker. When one talks about humanitarian concerns, it has to reflect the state of ones heart toward another human being. We do this by not allowing ourselves to be influenced by other factors like monetary concerns, survival of businesses, or state propaganda.
The concern must be solely based on how one human being ought to treat another human being, period. Once we deviate from this, we will be opening a whole hosts of other factors which are debatable in their own rights. So we must refrain from doing this.
In the above article, we are only looking at how to address a situation when it has already happened. There are two humanitarian issues of concern here.
a. what can we do to help these migrant workers already caught in the downturn situation? We cannot pretend it does not exist; nor can we blame these fw for taking away our jobs. They came to work here by way of an invitation by our govt because we, the locals, have shunned these jobs. We must stop blaming these fws without first blaming this PAP govt.
b. what can we do to prevent similar occurrences in the future? This is where suggestions have been pouring in, not only from this thread but many others.
Germami
Thanks for reading.I will cut it short and give my view on your a and b first.
a)To help these workers,as reported ,MOM had already allowed the workers to seek a change of employer.,action had been taken against the employer.
They had done their part in this issue and what more can we insist?
If I had given you the impression that I blame FW for coming here,I wish to assure you that that may be due to my difficulty in expression,I personnally have no problem of them coming here to earn a living like what my grandpa did.I am not those who on one hand blame them for coming here and on the other hand showing too much concern for them that they forgotten that the our local employer are also human being.They know who they are.
In this instance ,if the Fws are unable to get a job in another company in the ship related industry or even construction industry where the job is so claim ‘shun’ by locals ,then I think it should stop here and be fair for them to return their homeland.
It should not be the case that we must guarantee them a job to the extend that our uncles and auntie jobs are threathened.Many illiterate uncles and aunties are hoping to be of help as a cleaners and dishwashers etc.Not all job are shun.
Simply I just hope our locals can be taken care of before we take care of others.
b)Direct employment may be of some help.Many do not quite understand how these FWs landed here .There are middlemen and agents in their homeland,our local agents ,employer and clients.Sometimes we tend to point the finger at the wrong person,which i understand,given the complication.
Hi agongkia,
Thanks for your views and like I have always maintained, I do believe you are right to place a larger concern on our fellow countrymen, and it is indeed very heartening to know, that concerned individuals like yourself, exists to play a larger role, albeit in your limited capacity. I too have my limitations.
I do not know if MOM can be given the credit for the resolution of this dispute, especially with its hands-off approach. Yes, there were threats made to these errant employers to buck up and get the dispute settled but other than this, I do not see the role that MOM was called to play being played out (yet).
Take for example, the PRC workers in Yawning Bread’s account. They were paid just about half of what they were owed. The workers excepted these payments because they just wanted to get back home and I think the Lunar New Year played a part in them foregoing the other half of the amount owed them. The long drawn out episode must have taken its toll on them also.
Can this be seen as the dispute being amicably settled? I don’t think so. MOM’s has its work cut out for them, as you can see. It has to bring justice to bear on these employers. The rules have to be tightened so that exploitations can be reduced and eliminated.
In the case of the Bangladeshi migrant workers, we read that some like Delawar, went home with just a few hundred of the thousands of dollars they paid to get here. Again, MOM must step in to ask the hard questions and investigate to see if there are cases of blatant profiteering by exploitations and seek redress on behalf of these workers, whether still here or already sent home.
This does not mean that we turn our attention fully to the issue of abuse migrant workers. MOM must continue to learn and work with the various govt bodies to see how it can integrate our own workers into these jobs and make it worth their while to take up these jobs. A good start is the minimum wage idea being tossed around at the moment.
So you see, MOM and whichever govt authority, must pursue these causes and some ideas are already being offered here, which can be further looked into and perhaps adopted so that, on the one hand, justice is fairly delivered to the exploited, while on the other hand, locals can be assimiliated into these jobs over and above the employment of foreign workers.
Hi Germami
Acknowledge and agree with your concern.
Together let’s look forward to another happy and prosperous new year ahead ,
Possibly a year where every Singaporean can choose whether to go France for a painting course or a Kimchi making course in Korea.
A year full of hope..Happy Lunar New Year and Holidays for all..