Slavery on Thai fishing boats hasn’t gone away:
They are a model for the FoC industry. A navaid on the waterway to riches for owners and politicians.
It’s not just Thai ships:
The video from 2013 below is the rescue of a Burmese fisherman who was thrown overboard after asking for his wages, he had been working for 6 months, luckily a passing ship spotted him and rescued him, it’s sickening to think how many haven’t been rescued.
In 2018 I worked a couple of months with a young Malaysian 3rd Eng who had graduated 2 years previous. We had plenty of time to tell sea stories & he said some of the instructors at his academy would use corporal punishment on him & the other students. Knowing all the backwardness in the world I shouldn’t have been surprised about it but was. What was worse, according to him, of his class of over 100 he was 1 of only 3 who found a job at sea after graduation. It was during the '15-'16 oil crunch & the market was saturated with unemployed mariners. Those poor saps wore the uniforms, jump through all the hoops & literally took beatings to drive taxis & work in the hospitality industries.
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An Indonesian found dead in the freezer hold of a Chinese fishing vessel:
Indonesia make further arrests in the case:
Working on fishing vessels is hard work, no matter what part of the world or what fishery your working in. Yet slavery happens in a many occupations throughout the world, even in a small city-state like Singapore, which, if I’m not mistaken, you have often held to be an exemplary model of modern governing. 'nuf said.
Catch ya Later.
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That there are abuse of foreign maids happening in Singapore is true, but it is hardly anything the Government condone, or sweep under the carpet.Those cases that comes to light is prosecuted in court and widely publicized, with name of the offener(s)
Likewise, ill treatment of foreign workers, especially if they gets hurt on the job has been noted, publicized and prosecuted. Mostly occure in small sub-contractor businesses that is afraid that there will be a “Stop Work” order issued by MOE, something they don’t have the economical strength to survive.
Human trafficking of prostitutes are happening in Singapore as well as in other developed countries.
There is little said about the thousands of Maids (Domestic Helpers) and Foreign Workers that is well treated, which is by far the majority of the 1/2 Mill. or so that is in Singapore.
There are may maids that has worked for the same family for 20+ years and become like family. Many of them do not want to go home.since they don’t feel they “belong” there any more.One problem is when they are no longer able to work and thus have problem renewing work permits.
In my extended family in Singapore we have the Daughter and Grand daughter of a local Singaporean maid that worked for us back in 1975-80 (RIP) They have an Indonesian maid that has worked for them for over 25 years and is treated like part of the family. She goes home to see her family every 2 years, but only for 14 days.
There are also foreign workers that learn a trade, or attend evening classes while working in Singapore. Some goes home to start a business, while other gets upgraded at their workplace, bring their families and may eventually become Singapore citizens.
It is easy to read one article and then criticize others, but maybe it would be better to look closer “in your own backyard” and try to do something about the wrongs you find there.
PS> These two posts probably belong in the “This is Singapore” thread.Maybe an Administrator can move them?
Singapores standard of living is based on cheap foreign labour
In the shutdown it is obvious the only thing that runs without the cheap labour are taxis
Anything else that was mission critical got exemptions to operate with foreign labour.
20 in a dorm designed for 4 is becoming common knowledge. Many locals just finding out what really happens.
You now know why the wuhan went wild in the dorms…
Any reference, or is it more “buddy talk”??
PS> I though Aussies used the term “mate”, not “buddy”??
Have you been too long away from Oz and become Americanized??
Nah, he still spells “labor” wrong…
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unfortunately not printed in the newspaper so if thats your source for everything Singapore you are out of luck, its not called the daily propaganda for nothing.
Talk to someone that runs owns or lives in one.
My neighbour is a doctor who was working in one of the temp dorms at expo, he was shocked to hear from the patients ( the cheap labour guys) saying we are 20 in a room so this temp tent city is luxury.
I was surprised he didnt know but I have come to realize most Singaporeans and Ombugge do not know what happens under the covers.
Even dorms with the std 4 bed are doing 3 shifts of hot bunking but when the business had to shutdown that left 12 in the room…
Sometimes it makes the news
Back to the case of Slavery on fishing boats", but not only Thai boats.
Don’t know if there are any accusation of ill treatment as cause of death here, but obviously the Chinese Owner and Master did not want to call at Batam to transfer the bodies officially:
The last 6 posts re: Singapore should be moved to a new thread, or to the This in Singapore thread.