TWC2 exposes recruitment scam: S-Pass supervisor ended up with menial work, lower pay

Mridha’s payslips revealed a stark disparity between what he was promised and what he actually received. His first paycheck amounted to S$668, with S$148 deducted, leaving him with only S$520 in cash.

Similarly, his second paycheck showed a gross amount of S$697, but after a deduction of S$150, he received just S$547. These figures were a far cry from the promised fixed monthly salary of S$3,850, before overtime.

TWC2 estimated that inclusive of overtime, Mridha was owed approximately S$15,000 in unpaid wages.

TWC2 highlighted Mridha’s encounter with a Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) officer, who allegedly asserted that Mridha, with his S-Pass cancelled by the employer, was under a 30-day Social Visit Pass (SVP) and would need to leave Singapore once the 30-day period expired.

TWC2 criticized TADM for not assuring Mridha of MOM’s policy, which states that workers are not to be repatriated while their claim is pending.

“Moreover, the TADM mediation stage is not the final opportunity for a worker to claim his rightful salary. If an employee finds the settlement offer unacceptably low, he has a right to take the case to the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT), where he may seek a judgement in his favour.”

Mridha eventually obtained a Special Pass after TWC2 wrote to MOM regarding the matter. Another MOM branch stepped in, possibly due to the severe nature of the employer’s abuse of the In-principle Approval process.

During the ensuing months of November, December, and January (2024), Mridha faced financial hardship as his case lingered on. He was prohibited from seeking new employment due to the conditions of the Special Pass.

Ultimately, MOM succeeded in getting Mridha’s employer to compensate him S$10,000, which he received in full at the beginning of February 2024.

However, Mridha had paid his recruiter around S$12,000 for the job, leaving him still in debt despite the settlement.

Call for stronger measures against recruitment scams

TWC2 emphasized the need for robust measures to prevent recruitment scams like the one experienced by Mridha Hossein.

They stress that while addressing such cases after the fact is important, it’s only part of the solution.

They highlight that Mridha didn’t receive full restitution and suffered significant setbacks to his career aspirations and confidence in Singapore.

TWC2 advocates for a focus on prevention, suggesting that more measures need to be implemented to deter such scams from occurring in the first place.

They propose that companies should be scrutinized more closely, particularly if they cannot demonstrate actual construction contracts but are applying for positions like “Construction Site Supervisor” with high salaries.

Ethan Guo, TWC2’s General Manager, highlights an unusual aspect of S-Pass jobs: the requirement for employers to advertise vacancies locally before hiring foreigners.

He questioned whether the company adhered to the requirement of advertising job vacancies locally before hiring foreigners, pointing out potential gaps in the recruitment process.

“In particular with S-passes, because there’s there the need to ensure that uh locals are protected, and therefore we want to check and ensure that these jobs that the company say they are offering and that they’re paying for is exactly what they say they’re offering.”

“If the poor migrant worker can be cheated, does that mean Singaporeans might potentially be scammed as well?” Mr Guo asked.