In Phase 2, Migrant Workers Battle Financial Fears And A Mental Health Crisis

[Wt_know]

11 minutes ago, noobcarbuyer said:

https://mothership.sg/2020/08/indian-migrant-worker-jurong-west-death/

In a statement to Mothership on Aug. 6, MOM said that it is aware of the recent spate of suicides and attempted suicides involving migrant workers.

MOM added that, based on their engagements with NGOs and the ministry's records, such incidents tend to stem from "issues that migrant workers face back home such as marital or familial issues, or unforeseen mishaps in their home countries".

so nothing to do with covid and lockdown?  

[Silver_blade]

30 minutes ago, noobcarbuyer said:

https://mothership.sg/2020/08/indian-migrant-worker-jurong-west-death/

.....m "issues that migrant workers face back home such as marital or familial issues,..... in their home countries".

Interesting to see this being quoted. I think it is not uncommon for some of these workers being made cuckold (wear green hat). I do work with some of them or people who work directly with them...and this is one problem I hear often. The worse will be wife with their own brother/brothers/father....or helping to bring up kids who is not theirs.....and they cannot return to their home country to settle the problem.

[BanCoe]

Always wondered what this company was into .......... seeing their lorries with MES Group wording at many places..........and now abusing the workers  

3 MES Group firms and directors face 553 charges of employment offences - TODAY (todayonline.com)

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/mes-group-charged-labour-law-breaches-including-employing-foreigners-without-valid-passes?cid=emarsys-today_TODAY's evening briefing for March 18, 2021 (ACTIVE)_newsletter_18032021_today

SINGAPORE — The MES Group of property and logistics firms and their directors were on Thursday (March 18) charged with flouting employment laws, including falsely declaring workers’ salaries, illegally employing foreigners without valid work passes and making their workers clock excessive overtime hours.

In all, they face 553 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and Employment Act.

The court action came after the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), acting on a tipoff in 2019, started a special operation to look into allegations of illegal conduct at the group. 

The companies that have been charged are Mini Environment Service, Labourtel Management Corporation and MES Logistics. 

The directors implicated in the court case are all Singaporeans. They are Chew Chain Loon, 56; Fathimunnisa Mohamed Abdul Jaleel, 37; Haja Nawaz, 52; Parvis Ahmed Mohamed Ghouse, 44; and Mohamed Jinna Mohamed Abdul Jaleel, 38.

STRING OF OFFENCES

MOM’s investigation revealed that between November 2009 and May 22 in  2019, Mini Environment Service allegedly dispatched its workers to work for Labourtel and MES Logistics without valid work passes. 

The directors and companies have also been charged with abetting and making false salary and employment declarations in the companies’ work-pass applications. 

Mini Environment Service is also believed to have made its employees work beyond the permitted overtime hours stipulated under the Employment Act, Singapore’s main labour law, between March and May 2019.

Under the Employment Act, an employee may clock up to 72 overtime hours in a month.

The case against the directors and companies will be heard again in court on April 8. 

Labourtel, which operates dormitories for migrant workers, was in September last year fined S$118,000 for overcrowding and failing to maintain the cleanliness of the premises under its care in 2018 and 2019.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Kevin Teoh, divisional director of MOM’s foreign manpower management division, commended the whistleblower for his willingness to step forward and the witnesses for their cooperation. 

“MOM takes a serious view of such allegations and continues to be vigilant in our surveillance and enforcement efforts. We will take strong enforcement action against offending parties,” he said.

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, the punishment for illegal employment is a fine of between S$5,000 and S$30,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both. 

For making a false statement or providing false information in any application or renewal of a work pass, the penalty is a fine of up to S$20,000 or a jail term of up to two years, or both.

Under the Employment Act, making employees put in excessive overtime hours carries a fine of up to S$5,000. 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by BanCoe