Rahul's Story*
While looking for job opportunities in Singapore, Rahul was introduced to an agent who promised him a job as a logistics officer, with a monthly salary of S$3,000 and a 2 year-contract. Elated, Rahul jumped at the opportunity. He borrowed from friends and relatives in India to pay the agent’s fee of S$3,400.
However, he was unaware his employer had applied for his permit under the Training Employment Scheme, which is only valid for 3 months. This permit is also meant to be used to train individuals, and not for employment purposes.
Just before his departure to Singapore, Rahul’s employer coerced him into signing another contract: instead of a logistics officer, the contract stated that he will be tasked to deliver parcels, for which he will be paid 50 cents per parcel delivered instead of a monthly salary of S$3000. He was told that he would be denied entry into Singapore if he did not sign the contract. Feeling like he had no choice, Rahul signed the contract.
Upon his arrival, Rahul started work under oppressive conditions. For 4 days, he worked from 6am till 11pm, without being provided any food. He was also not given any money to buy food for himself. He was threatened with repatriation if he refused to comply.
On Day 5, due to hunger and exhaustion, Rahul collapsed at work. He was brought by ambulance to a hospital, where he was treated and discharged with 7 days’ medical leave. His employer confiscated his medical documents.
Despite his medical leave, his employer insisted Rahul come to work. When Rahul replied that he was on medical leave and feeling very weak, his employer terminated Rahul immediately. The employer evicted him from his dormitory on the same day. Rahul was also told to fund his own repatriation ticket and settle the rest of the issues with his agent. When he told his employer he had spent a lot of money to come to Singapore and wanted to continue working, the employer told him it was not his problem to solve.
A few days later, Rahul was repatriated.
Rahul’s experience illustrates the level of deception some migrant workers face, as well as their disposability—employers are able to repatriate them at a moment’s notice. Rahul’s job scope and salary was vastly different from what was initially promised. Many others like him uproot their lives based on false promises made by unscrupulous employers or agents, incurring crushing debt along the way.
When Rahul fell sick due to his brutal working conditions, he was not allowed the rest he needed. Instead, his employers terminated him, most likely as they did not want to provide him medical treatment and regarded him no longer useful to them.
We recommend that migrant workers have the right to switch employers freely, with clear and sufficient defined notice periods—their deportability and lack of labour mobility are fundamental reasons why they are unable to reject oppressive working conditions, thus enabling employers to exploit them. Migrant workers should be empowered to terminate their employment and change employers without their current employer’s permission so that they can work safely, and with dignity.
*Worker’s name has been changed to protect her identity
**This story is as told to us by the worker.