Jobless migrant workers protest in Singapore again
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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:29pm IST
A group of around 100 Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered outside Singapore's labour ministry on Friday, urging the government to give them work and retrieve overdue pay after they were laid off by shipping firms.
Protests are rare in Singapore, where public speeches and demonstrations are banned unless they are approved by the government, or take place at a designated place called Speaker's Corner.
A representative for the Bangladeshi workers said they were promised a monthly salary of at least S$400 and a work permit of 2 years. But with no work or pay for 4 months, they felt they were in danger of being deported.
"We don't want to go back to Bangladesh. We take loan, we cannot pay, we die," said Rahman, who gave up his farming job in Bangladesh and took a loan of S$7000 from money lenders back home to pay an agent fee to work in Singapore.
Fifty workers gathered at the ministry earlier this month.
Local advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too said such gatherings would become more common in Singapore as workers were not being fed enough and were just sitting in dormitories, amid Singapore's worst ever recession.
"The mood is that we are seeing a lot of people coming forward -- hundreds -- they don't have work," said the group's Shelley Thio. "We are going to see a lot more of it -- they are being shortchanged."
Singapore's shipyard, construction and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007. But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
"If developers can't get money to pay construction companies, subcontractors down the line will get affected too," said Chew Chin Hui, who heads a local building firm.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-38247620090227
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hmmmmm.....no police arrest them???no tear gas???no instant jail???no nothing????oh goody.......noiw everybody will stand outside any givernment house to local police station to protest.
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This is old news just want to highlight our some of our vulnerabilities...
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What sort of action or preventive measure the SPF is taking that no such workers protests in Singapore?
Isn't it illegal for this sort of protest in Singapore?Why the foreign workers can do it and local workers are not allowed?Why the double standard?Can the police pls clarify?
Not too long ago some Chinese workers did the same outside MOM,what sort of action had been taken?Or was there any action at all?If no action what was the reason?Double standard again?
Now the Banglas are testing the system how the police is going to treat this case?
The same laws and rules must be applied to everyone regardless or else do not talk about integrity.
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So can Singaporeans do the same, or the full forces of law enforcement will descend on us?
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Originally posted by Man!x:
So can Singaporeans do the same, or the full forces of law enforcement will descend on us?
Well, I think if you are alone and standing around doing nothing, they can still charge you with illegal assembly.
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This are all the works of unscruplous agents who, register a shipping business in tuas or gul, but no ship, just a wrecked warehouse or workshop, took them in, each paid 7 to 8 k to the them and hope for the best if there is job, and when there is no job, they leave them there to rot, so irresponsible.
If the govt is to arrest these workers and put them in jail, they dun mind, cos they really got nothing left, not even a ticket home, going to jail will be much better than staying outside with nothing. I think MOM must catch those agents and put them in jail for good, really pity these workers.
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waaaa angel 7030.....so kind hearted......
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actually it also manpower minstry fault,,,,,why they allow them permit in first place!!!??didnt mom check first???and if theres 100...surely there could be way more than this?
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Originally posted by Hitman2:
hmmmmm.....no police arrest them???no tear gas???no instant jail???no nothing????oh goody.......noiw everybody will stand outside any givernment house to local police station to protest.
Don't think of doing that unless you are a foreigner. Foreigners are more equal than locals in the eyes of the cursed despot with a zombie wife.
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Originally posted by Hitman2:
actually it also manpower minstry fault,,,,,why they allow them permit in first place!!!??didnt mom check first???and if theres 100...surely there could be way more than this?
True to a certain extend, but the MOM told me that all these was done during booming period, for work permit holders there are quotas, quotas increases when economy pick up to allow employers having more labourers to help out. Taking this opportunity, some unethical employers decided to go into labour supply business, better than working so hard for a mere profit, they get it directly from the labourers with ease. So, they applied to MOM for permits on the basis of many works in their yards, which is actually empty. And with enuf quotas, MOM issued the permits to them. Remember, that MOM also have a levy to collect, the more the merrier.So, all these are the result of poor control, greed and unethical employers at work, yes, i agree that Mom have to be more vigilant and be wary of any corrupted officer who granted permits to employers over a few thousands dollars transfer to his/her bank. More or less, it become like a illegal human trafficking
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
Don't think of doing that unless you are a foreigner. Foreigners are more equal than locals in the eyes of the cursed despot with a zombie wife.
Uncle, just managed to buy your medicines.