Employer & Migrant Workers Rights Group Fought Over Migrant Workers That Are ‘Locked Up’

On 21 Apr, the Ministry of Manpower announced that they’ve completed the transfer of about 10,000 healthy migrant workers in essential services.

And that the foreign workers are now entering phase two of the plan: a. Total. Lockdown.

But does a lockdown constitute a lock?

Apparently, this migrant workers rights group don’t think so.

What Happened

On 21 Apr 2020, this migrant workers rights group, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), and a dormitory’s fight spilt over into public domain.

A manager in the dormitory, Joylicious in Singapore after she locked 20 migrant workers inside a room since 17 Apr.

But the manager, Miss Thng, claims that she has no choice but to do so “for the safety of the remaining 800 workers under her care.

His Side Of The Story (Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2))

• Workers have been locked up since 17 Apr and TWC2 only knew about it after a ‘distress call’
• Claimed workers were moved to a larger room with an attached toilet a few hours later but they were still locked up
• Dormitory only kept the door unlocked when the police came, hopes it will “stay that way”
• Workers who wanted to use the toilet or shower have to wait “half an hour” before guards came to take them up

Her Side Of The Story (Dormitory Manager)

• The 20 workers shared a room with a worker who tested positive for Covid-19
• While waiting for quarantine orders from the authorities, the dormitory took it upon itself to separate the close contacts from the rest of the residents
• It was emphasised that it was only a temporary arrangement.
• The workers were only locked up for “less than 24 hours” and during this time, the dormitory was preparing a larger room with an attached toilet for the workers
• Two Bangladeshi workers were “causing trouble” by requesting to go to the toilet every half hour
• The staff has to ensure that the toilet is cleared of others before the workers can be brought to the toilet
• We had ‘no choice’.

Still Doesn’t Make It Right

TWC2’s general manager, Ethan Guo, says that despite their reasoning, it doesn’t “make it right” to confine the men.

He also insists that the men were “wrongfully” confined for more than 24 hours, a cut down from the days that they previously claimed.

The room is like a “prison cell”, he says, and even prison cells have intercoms.

What if there’s an emergency, he asked, and the men needed to escape?

Migrant Workers’ Centre Following Up On The Incident

TWC2 claimed that they’ve alerted the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) to the incident but has yet to receive a reply.

MWC says that they’ve alerted the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) enforcement unit whose officers can access private property.

They’ve carried out an enforcement visit to the dormitory in question and are following up on the case.

MWC, however, did say that such actions will not be allowed to pass.

The safety of our migrant workers are our utmost concern and such dangerous acts, what more during this crucial circuit breaker period, will not be condoned.”

Migrant workers who are in similar situations are encouraged to call MWC on their 24-hour helpline at 6536 2692 for help.