We are should all be appalled at this injustice – and loud in our outrage and disgust.

As an expat in Singapore, I am deeply ashamed that the rights afforded to me as a ‘foreign worker’ are not extended to my fellow human beings as ‘migrant workers’. What is the difference? We are all humans with a right to dignity of life, dignity of person and DIGNITY OF WORK.

Shame on all of us who live here and are quiet or complicit in allowing these disgraceful abuses of human dignity to continue.

Great work Stephanie – keep up the good fight!

As a Singaporean, I am disgusted and embarrassed at the way foreign workers are being treated. They are the backbone behind the building infrastructure that the govt is so proud of. And this is the thanks they get?

I’d like to see if any of the overly paid PAP ministers can rough it out in one of these dormitories and worksites for just a week. Maybe then, the living conditions of these people will improve!

2) A condo unit rentd by FTs..looked nice from the outside…but inside, GOD I’d need a respirator to breathe. They dont even bother to flush the toilet! And this is a not a housing provided by employer…its rented by them. I’d pitied the landlord for all the repairworks needed when the lease is over.

3) Anyone had seen Indian/ Bangla workers throwing boxes of “FREE Sunshine buns” given to these FWs during Singtel Roadshow onto the stage and judges just becos they cant see Ms Singtel India/Singapore. These “food” were given to them…and they dont appreciate it. ……..SGs dont get buns when signing for Hi Card :0)

Bottomline, it’s not that the Employers or Gov don’t care…they have tried. These FWs/ FTs don’t appreciate what they have or has been given to them….of course not luxury living, but the FWs or FTs could’nt care less. Just look at the littering problem near the vicinity where they live!

Only they can improve the way they live, their habits……then the Employer or Gahmen will play their part. It has alway been that way…..we cannot afford to spoonfeed.

The pictures tell everything thats wrong here in our lovely country which is so much admired by others the world over. (I do hope they see this piece of journalism. I will circulate it to my overseas friends).
This country is built on the blood, sweat & tears of the Foreign Workers.
Its terribly cruel to prosper on the misery of others.

Be assured the Authorities read TOC.
Be it MOM, REDAS, BCA etc etc & all those involved in property (developers), construction firms…….all these people or organisations are aware of the working & living conditions.
Readers should not assume that such living conditions affect construction workers only.
I am almost certain, foreign workers in the shipyards, garbage collection, grass cutting, coffee shop cleaners, shopping mall cleaners may also face silmilar living conditions…….perhaps not as severe as those in construction.

What can we do as a starter?
I suggest that readers do as suggested in comment 74 above.
You see the website links; do write to the companies involved.
This is a good start.Make them aware that people care.
They will realise that they are mentioned on TOC in a bad light.
Lets see if they respond on TOC (make this a challenge).

WHY has this persisted?
———————————
I have said above that the Authorities (eg MOM, BCA etc) & Companies & groups like REDAS are aware of the existing conditions…….so WHY has it persisted for so long?

Its COSTS stupid! ….as they saying goes.
If they collectively do not implement better housing conditions for the foreign workers, their costs will be lower.
Then the total building cost would be lower; then Singapore becomes a cheaper, a more competitive place to do business as the govt would nicely put it.
(There is also an element of truth as proposed in comment 61 above by Von Hayek).

For years, the cost of living rose (esp 2005-2006-2007 when food prices rocketed) whilst oddly enough salaries for these foreign workers fell or were flat.
They were squeezed to make ends meet.
Why has not MOM introduced a minimum wage for these low level workers?
They just do not care—– as long as the overall costs is kept down to keep Singapore competitive.
MOM’s stance on these workers salaries appears to be that ”its an open market”…….if they want to work in Singapore, they take the market rate even though MOM is aware the market rate is morally too low.
So with such attitudes lingering everywhere in the Authorities, the developers, the construction firms……….these unsavoury living conditions will persist for a long time more.

Kudos to Zaobao (see comment 97) for taking up this issue.They always had guts; admirable.
Sorry to Straits Times who always seem to be in a straits jacket parroting the obvious news.

I have signed the petition and hope things will work out for the better for their welfare.

Help speak up for these workers, sign a petition we are sending in to MOM to say “Yes! We care!”

Petition form: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEUtVjh3azltV3pNdy1kbXVwNjlTUUE6MA

Check out our blog for more info.

Yours,
Grace/Kah Yoke.
NUS Social Work Students

Help speak up for these workers, sign a petition we are sending in to MOM to say “Yes! We care!”

Grace/Kah Yoke.
NUS Social Work Students

Thanks for your understand && mis-understand.

I’m ashamed that contractors from my country treat their workers with such shoddy accommodation! And to make it worse, it’s a major player in the construction industry!

I so badly want all the ministers to experience these conditions for themselves, but it’s a damn shame that it won’t happen because they’re either too busy to bother, or when they do, it’s always a highly planned and orchestrated visit, with the place being scrupulously cleaned up and tidied for their inspection and approval.

No sane minister in our country believes in going undercover to see the conditions for what they are. And that is a fact.

///////. i mean why would they even want to come here and work as hard labourers??///////////

You need a reality check here.

//////////alternatively, kind, loving and caring singaporeans (like commenters on this post, including myself) can come together, pool some funds, give them to these labourers so that they can afford to buy houses and luxury goods like us! //////

please invite Stephanie Chok too.
I do not think they will be thrilled with luxury goods, they came here to get themselves out of their poverty hole theyy are trapped in back home, a Prada handbag cannot feed his hungry family back home.

Ministers and Civil servants are highly paid to solve these problems.

I am happy to read your thoughts.
Good to know some of us still live in the real world.
Complain is free.
But there is a cost to fix anytrhing.
And especially when the complainer has to pay for fixing it, suddenly all is silent. : ).