Story and picture by Deborah Choo
For 14 workers, formerly employed by Ocean Marine Engineering, being made to live in containers was perhaps the least of their problems. These workers have since been unemployed, and are now struggling on their own.
When their company failed to pay their salaries for about six months, the men were unable to meet their basic three meals a day, much less remit money back to their families in Bangladesh. They rely on the once-a-day free meals that non-governmental group TWC2 provides at Sutha’s Restaurant at Cuff Road.
All 14 men had signed a two-year contract with their Bangladeshi agents, and paid S$9K each. They had been in Singapore for one and a half years. The workers have a salary and accommodation dispute with their employer.
“Salary voucher”
The case was brought up to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and a mediation session was arranged for the employer and the workers. However, the result did not turn out well.
The Bangladeshis told us that during the session, the MOM officer and Ocean Marine’s representative mainly conversed in English, which left the workers clueless.
After the negotiation, the employer agreed to pay the workers their salaries accordingly – with a clause; the workers had to sign a “salary voucher” which entitles each of them to receive part payment first. Each worker should receive payment ranging from S$1.8K to S$1.9K. This is the amount Ocean Marine owed the workers over a course of approximately six months. Due to their desperate situation, the cash-strapped workers collectively gave in and signed the document as they needed money badly.
The document, however, is being kept by the employer.
The second half of the payment has not been made.
Their previous living conditions were poor. 20 men were crammed into a container and each worker had to pay $100 every month. According to one of the clauses as stated in the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website, “Deductions (for house accommodation) must not exceed the value of the accommodation, amenity or service supplied.”
TOC has sought clarification with MOM on the amount the employer is able to charge the workers. Responding to TOC’s enquiry, MOM said that the amount must be taken in “totality” as it is “only logical”. This meant that for each worker, under the law, employers can only collect a total of not more than S$140 per container from the workers. Hence, each worker, if there are 20 housed in one container, can only be rightfully charged a maximum monthly fee of S$7 for accommodation, amenities and services supplied.
The workers were subsequently shifted to another dormitory, but they have not been refunded for the money they’ve paid for living in the vessels.
Salaries and fees
Another issue is that the workers had noticed that an amount of S$50 had been deducted for absenteeism, instead of the previous S$20 as agreed. According to the workers, there had been no mention of the fee increase until they saw the document during the mediation session on the 26th February 2009.
When the workers confronted their boss, they were told that it was a “new rule”.
The workers also complain of non-payment of medical bills by their employer. Under the law, employers are suppose to foot such costs.
When Mr. Azmat Ali, 28, visited the polyclinic, he learnt that his boss had not paid his bill for his previous visit, two months earlier. He was thus told that he would not be given any medication until his previous bill from his first visit was paid.
TOC understands that his employer has since paid the bills.
When the workers report sick for the day, $50 is deducted from their salaries. Several workers had up to S$200 deducted off their pay in one month, even though they had medical certificates to explain their inability to work.
According to the workers, they had repeatedly looked for the MOM officer who had mediated a settlement, but they were referred back to their employer.
TOC tried to speak to the officer but she declined to comment.
The workers are now living on their own in Little India. They have been jobless for approximately two months now. They had not been remitting money back to their home, and several revealed that ties with their families are strained.
“My family also sometimes no happy, no talking,” said Mr. Mohamed Ismail, 30. They are not optimistic about the situation, acutely aware that they have a mountain of debts to clear.
When asked what would happen if they returned to Bangladesh, Azmat said, “All men coming (to me), I don’t give (money), all men fight,” referring to his creditors.
Ocean Marine’s representative could not be reached for comment.
Their next mediation session with MOM and Ocean Marine is slated to take place on 18th March 2009.
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well done, again and again and again one article after another.
how about also concern for the poor old 1 room lonely retirees still collecting cardboxes? your citizens lah.
this blog so touching man. should win nobel peace prize or world peace prize.
is it coincidental or is there a movement to make people concern more about foreign workers?
after this kinds of article, can show some concerns for me and the jobless blokes or not? thanks a million TOC!! you are the best!
there had been many reports of all these issue on foreign workers. why dont just send them back to their own country. they had been complaining and complaining. go back to their own country and find a job there, not here! how about our own citizens, those who are old and too weak to work? dont you think is better to put a report of them than all theses scums?? since these foreign workers got no work for months, they will run short of money. what’s next? robbery, shoplifting etc etc. it will just create more social problems for our society…
as the saying go: whatever you are today, is directly or indirectly caused by your ownself…… they should blame themselves for being naive, stupid and greedy….
pro foreign work blog (#1),
Please do a search by typing in keywords “homeless” or “poor” in the search window of this website. You’ll see that we’ve always covered the less fortunate. The search function is at the top right corner of the website.
kickoff (#2),
Those who profit from bringing in the foreign workers are also the same people who provoke the foreign workers to participate in your imagined problems. If you have a problem with foreign workers, take your issues to the Gangmasters companies which import the foreign workers.
To #1 pro foreign work blog:
The reason why you don’t have a job is because MOM’s lack of inspection and enforcement of the Labour laws makes it cheaper for companies to use unethical means to exploit cheap foreign labour. E.g. Depressing their costs by fleecing them of their rightful wages.
If MOM is forced by TOC’s articles to increase its enforcement of foreign workers rights, the companies would not be able to profiteer from “non-business” related activities such as overcharging foreign labour on their accommodations. This forces the cost of foreign labour up.
On the surface, foreigner workers are touted by PAP politicians as hungrier and therefore more employable than locals. In reality, the foreign workers are simply being ripped-off by unethical companies, and this seems to be common practice. Thus, if cost of foreign labour is forced upwards, PAP will no longer be able to conveniently blame Singaporeans for being “too expensive to hire” and forced to acknowledge the real reasons behind the high cost of doing business in Singapore. This is usually related to the high tenancy and utilities costs, and myriad of licensing fees which are all controlled directly/indirectly by the PAP dominated government.
Hope the above provides a bigger picture of why helping foreign workers (increasing their costs, so that they are no-longer easy bait for unethical companies) is actually helping Singaporeans become more employable.
Note: I do not personally know the TOC folks or the foreign workers featured. I am making the above comment because, like you, I am a fellow Singapore citizen (born and bred here) making ends meet. Looking at the current reality of the poor elderly, I too worry about my future. IMHO, pushing for more transparency & accountability from the politicians and civil servants seem to be the best way to ensure humane living standards for all true-blue Singapore citizens. IMHO, TOC is doing a great job in this aspect.
In order to improve the credibility to your reporting, you should provide the names of all the people involved in this dispute especially the culprits, like the owner of Ocean Marine – who is the owner, the GM, the representative who was using English to handle the dispute with MOM. Who was the MOM officer who also later declined to comment.
What is the purpose of this reporting.. in finality it appears to have achieved nothing?
“Ocean Marine’s representative could not be reached for comment.” – you got to be kidding if you expect any response. Who is this fella anyway who is representing the company.
“Their next mediation session with MOM and Ocean Marine is slated to take place on 18th March 2009″ – I doubt much will come out of this for the workers since the company has already balantly not complied to the things set out in the 1st session and no penalty or action taken by MOM.
Since the TOC appears to have interviewed several of the workers? in what language? since they are unable to communicate well in English? then perhaps the TOC can send this list to the MOM to take into consideration the various points highlighted by the workers during the mediation. From your brief article (you could have probably much more details), the following could be listed to be followed up upon by the MOM, with answers provided before or on the next mediation;
* Late payment of salaries – there should be penalty to the employers, or they should be paying interests for the late payment?
* Language for the mediation – there should be an interpreter present so that the workers can understand the discussion and mediation process since this is important to them (perhaps not to MOM?). MOM should not have any problem to find an interprester within their ranks.
* Condition of salary release – workers have to sign a salary voucher with a cluase to get part payment? what is this? this is payment overdue and should be made by the employers, yet MOM is allowing them to add further restriction and clause to make the payments? what was the clause about, did the workers understand what the clause was? why were they not given a copy of this? confidential? I wonder what in this world we are getting to.
* Balance payment – second half of payment not made? isn’t this ludricous especially after the workers have even signed the additional requirement which is inappropriate but they were not left with much choice because of the predicarement they are in. What are the resons for not making this payment as mediated in the mediation process with the company and MOM? What has the MOM been doing about this? NOTHING? Then what is the purpose of coming to a conclusion at a mediation without following through? Is this a joke?
* Overcharging of living quarters – MOM responded to TOC’s enquiry – was this verbally or in writing? There is NO VALUE in a verbal response unless TOC has documented this! Furthermore what actions have been taken against the company for this behaviour by MOM whom I believe must be now aware of this situation. NOTHING again presumably? The company should be penalized for such inappropriate behaviour and given heavy penalties if this is found to be illegal.
* Deduction for absenteism increased – again this is another unscrupulous behaviour of the employer which MOM appears to be condoning (by being aware but doing NOTHING) closing their eyes to. How is it possible for an employer to change the terms of the contract especially for deductions of salary as and when they like – a new rule my foot. Even in China, this is NOT allowed to happen. I just wonder about the labor laws in Singapore in comparison with China with regards to the protection of workers right – really primitive I must presume. Singapore’s labor laws for such workers are probably back to the Dark Ages.
* MOM – you should name this bloody officer who mediated in the sessions. Referring the workers back to the employers when they approach this person (I wonder if they are human?) is like sending them to hell. Furthermore aren’t they supposed to be assisting? Probably ONLY assisting the company not the workers.
soojenn,
Would you like to come help us with the next story we might be doing? It’d be good to have some help…
Drop us an email at: theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
Thanks.
Hi Soojen,
your list of follow ups are great, and I’m sure we’ll be able to get more information out of those follow ups. I think you have the potential to be a great reporter as well. :)
In any case you know that most of the reporters doing this reporting are done on a volunteery basis and some are even students. They are not paid like the ST reporters who unfortunately has an interest. Besides their busy schedule, they are gone the extra distance to report. And I really applaud the effort of TOC reporters! :)
Cheers TOC!
Yes,after reading so many reports here I too have sympathy on them.
Since this is an issue being raised so often by our good singaporean,how about treating them more better by bringing them home to sleep with us,in the capacity as a friend ,buy them food and clothing etc.Since there are 14 of them here,how about giving the priviledge to those Humanitarian Organisation Volunteers and reporters to start selecting first.One volunteer to take in one.
Please dun misunderstood my good intention because I believe action speaks louder than word.
WTH is the 9k for? Damned profiteers. Ripping $ off folks from a poor country by conning them with the promise of work. MoM doesn’t protect workers as well as it should. It protects the profits of companies more because they contribute directly to the country’s $ bag which never seem to see the light of the day at the hands of poor citizens.
Unethical companies don’t care about ripping poor foreigners off by conning them. They cause major inconvenience & misery to these folks & unnecessary overcrowding of the country. These kind of companies are evil powers at work.
“Let’s get realistc guys, there are many more Singaporeans who are in poverty and need our help (all the more, those school children who are going to school hungry because the parents cannot afford to give them pocket money), and if we really think that this is a website for the Singaporean community, then, please do the right thing and have the right priorities, and stop always publishing these kind of articles about FW, as though Singaporeans are all so cold-blooded.”
Yah lo, i agree also. Digit men to be shifted around where hard cold decision has to be made to choose the best out of the worst. I feel so lucky and previleged to be a full-breed singaporean now.
webiste for singaporean community also mean good and bad policies are brought up as real lives are being affected. Priority also means they also have to priortise the right people (themselves) up there………… easier said than done right ? now who pays the price ? short term expediency sometimes have long-term costs which are not so predictable.
TOC,i realy think tat there is always 2 sides of the stories…y isnt there any comments frm there company involved…i m sure they hav their part of story to say…y mus we always hav the idea tat the workers r always the suffering ones..the company owners r singaporeans after all..we shld find out first wat tis company bosses hav gone thru..its nt only the marine industries tat is goin thru bad times…its recession guys…we hav our fellow singaporeans goin thru bad times too..y are u people nt doin anything abt our people…the workers hav their own high comms to care for them actually…so try to do some good for our people first TOC!THESE marine companies r actually doin us good by goin thru shit to bring up the standards of our shipyards…how do u think we r able to deliver so many OIL RIGS to other countries then?y do u think we hav foreign vessels coming into our shipyards for repairs?who doin u think is doin the dirty jobs to up hold our nation’s shipyards?its tis marine companies TOC!even big organizatins r goin thru hard times..so y talk abt these companies..so i guess its time we put ourselves in the shoes of the company bosses!
Foreigners that cannot afford good housing here should not even bother coming as we are one of the 10 most expensive countries to live in, you know!
Dr John (#11),
This is abuse by Gangmaster companies, not marine companies. Do you understand this? Gangmaster companies are the one who recruit foreign workers, house them and is supposed to be responsible for taking care of the foreign workers. But if the boss or the senior management in the marine company owns the gangmaster company, then there will be a lot of questions to ask, such as closed contract tender, etc, on top of abusing the foreign workers.
It is puzzling why some people seem to think that just because the editors at TOC choose to run a story about the plight of migrant workers, they are somehow being un-patriotic, or unsympathetic towards their fellow citizens living in poverty. That is just illogical.
I have only just started visiting this site, and already, I have noticed plenty of stories about the under-privileged in Singapore.
Why the rush to pass judgement and pass snide comments? What is the purpose of deriding a report about a genuine issue just because the issue happens to be about foreign workers?
Are we so small-minded and xenophobic?
#10
While is appalling that some Singaporeans have to live in poverty and struggle to make ends, it is equally appalling that some other Singaporeans think nothing of exploiting their employees. Whether they are foreign or local is irrelevant – exploitation is exploitation.
#11
The marine industry is dependent on the thousands of migrants who pay good money to come here to work. They perform jobs few Singaporeans would want to do, for a salary very few of us would be willing to accept. Who do YOU think takes on the dirtiest jobs? THEY, the migrant workers do. They don’t deserve to be badly treated. They don’t deserve to live in filth, they don’t deserve to be exposed to disease, they don’t deserve to be ripped off. No one does.
Just because these workers have their own High Commission to take care of them doesn’t mean that we, as Singaporeans shouldn’t be appalled by the way they are being treated. Or are you implying that abuse is less objectionable simply because it is directed at a foreign worker?
#12
These workers really shouldn’t be paying $2000 (20 x $100) for a container in Jurong. Even by the standards of one of the 10 most expensive countries in the world, that is an outrageous price to charge.
Hi Deborah! Just finished your article about the ill-treatment of those foreign workers. Yeah, sometimes those employers gave those empty promises which they’re supposed to the workers. Those employers should be given fair justice not just by MOM, but by the Supreme Court itself.
If these reports were really true, then I could say that MOM has not done a proper job reaching out for both employers and employees. There must be sense of treatment which they must be treated in humane manner.
Again, keep it up! Look forward to another report in future!