Two NGOS Call for More Steps Be Taken for Foreign Workers

This article appeared on Channel NewsAsia on 15 January 2009:

Two NGOS call for more steps be taken for foreign workers
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid

SINGAPORE: Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have urged more steps be taken for foreign workers affected by the economic crisis to be adequately compensated.

In a joint statement to the media, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) said that most of the affected workers are from the marine sector.

TWC2 has met 800 workers who have not had access to work since they were brought into Singapore, abandoned by their employers and had not been paid their due salaries.

300 shipyard workers faced with the same predicament had also come to HOME complaining of poor housing, lack of food and neglect by their employers when they were ill.

Some of them received compensation for the days on which they have had no access to work, but the amount was usually said to be well below the full wages due.

Hence, the NGOs hope more can be done to assist such workers.

For example, they want affected workers to be compensated for the remaining validity period of their work permits, including the full wages due to them.

They are also calling for stiffer penalties on errant employers who fail to pay wages on time.