In The News

Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), a society with a commitment to promoting the wellbeing of migrant workers, is having a second-hand book-selling drive. The first bazaar was held at LIME Flea market last year and this year, we’re bringing the bazaar to Waterloo Street!
 
Date: 24th November 2007
Time: 10am to 6pm
Venue: SCWO Centre, 96 Waterloo Street
 
Come join us at SCWO. We will also be selling TWC2’s T-shirts and Dignity Overdue, the story of our origins and inspirations. If you’d like to speak to members of TWC2, this is the time to come meet them up close and personal!
 
Thank you to all who came down to support!
 

Ever wonder what goes behind the helpline? This report profiles the services rendered by the helpline, its operational capacity and the types of complaints and enquiries received from 18 December 2006 to 30 July 2007. It also highlights the resources required for the helpline to improve and keep us going! Now available for download.

Recently, TWC2 worked with Catapult Advertising to create the following series of T-shirts for sale. They come in Large and Medium sizes only and are for purchase at $15. Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you wish to get one, or call 6247 7001 now!

 "Catapult Advertising came up with three T-shirt designs that highlight the salary problems in TWC2's 'Debts, Delays, Deductions' report identified a year ago. They do so with humour. When we first saw them, we wondered what domestic workers would make of them, but those who saw the designs thought that they were good." - TWC2's President John Gee

 

A regular day off for domestic workers
The Standard Contract Is Not Working: It Is Time For It To Be Made Law

On September 15th 2006, a new standard employment contract for domestic workers was due to be implemented across the whole of the employment agency industry in Singapore. Its terms had been agreed by the two accreditation bodies for agencies, the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) and CASETrust.

A key feature of the contract was the clause concerning time off for the worker. It gave signatories the options of agreeing that the worker should have one, two, three or four days off per month. In theory, this meant that the worker could be sure of receiving at least one day a month when she could relax and go out to spend her time as she chose.

Unfortunately, this provision was undermined by another that allowed an employer to pay a worker extra money on top of her regular wage to give up her time off.