Singapore’s migrant worker wage saga spotlights potential loopholes

A labour saga in Singapore involving migrant workers going unpaid for months after a contractor fled the country has raised questions about wage policies for unskilled staff, even as authorities respond with the city state’s characteristic speed and efficiency. Authorities and the labour movement moved quickly to help the more than 400 workers lodge claims, cover their living expenses and secure new employment, with a number of companies offering vacancies. Laavanya Kathiravelu, an associate professor of sociology at NTU, said the ministry’s quick response “should be lauded in this instance”. “However, it should not make us forget that there are systemic problems in the current arrangement that places disproportionate power in the hands of employers,” she said.

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