A sinkhole revives debate about migrant workers’ rights in Singapore – BBC

Report on Migrant Worker Conditions in Singapore Following Sinkhole Rescue Incident

Introduction: Incident Summary

A recent incident involving the rescue of a motorist from a sinkhole by a group of migrant construction workers in Singapore has brought renewed attention to the systemic issues affecting low-wage laborers in the city-state. This report analyzes these issues through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting significant deviations from international standards for labor rights, equality, and community integration.

Analysis of Labor Conditions in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The conditions faced by migrant workers in Singapore present a significant challenge to achieving SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

• Wages and Economic Security (Target 8.5): Advocacy groups report that without a mandated minimum wage, some workers earn as little as S$300 per month. This practice undermines the goal of achieving decent work and equal pay for work of equal value.
• Safe and Secure Working Environments (Target 8.8): The well-documented practice of transporting workers in the open cargo beds of lorries is a direct violation of safe working environment principles. This mode of transport has resulted in numerous injuries and fatalities, indicating a failure to protect labor rights and promote safety.
• Economic Contribution vs. Rights: Migrant laborers constitute nearly three-quarters of Singapore’s foreign workforce and are foundational to key sectors such as construction and manufacturing. However, their economic contribution is not matched by the provision of decent work or fundamental protections.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The disparity in rights and social standing between migrant workers and the local population points to a failure to address SDG 10, which calls for reducing inequality within and among countries.

• Social and Legal Disparity (Target 10.2 & 10.3): Migrant workers on specific work permits are denied pathways to permanent residency, regardless of their length of service; the foreman in the sinkhole rescue has worked in Singapore for 22 years. They also require government approval to marry Singaporean citizens, creating a clear legal and social hierarchy that contravenes the goal of social and political inclusion.
• Power Imbalance: The current system, as described by rights organizations, grants disproportionate power to employers over the lives of workers, preserving a status quo of inequality.

SDG 3 & SDG 11: Good Health, Well-being, and Sustainable Cities

The living and transport conditions of migrant workers directly impact public health and the sustainability of urban communities, key targets of SDG 3 and SDG 11.

1. Unsafe Transportation (SDG 3.6 & 11.2): The use of lorries for transporting workers has led to hundreds of injuries and multiple fatalities. This practice is in direct opposition to SDG 3.6 (halving deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents) and SDG 11.2 (providing access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transport systems for all).
2. Inadequate Housing (SDG 3.3 & 11.1): The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the crowded and unsanitary conditions in worker dormitories, which became virus hotspots. This situation highlights a failure to provide adequate and safe housing (SDG 11.1) and protect populations from communicable diseases (SDG 3.3).
3. Community Segregation (SDG 11): The placement of dormitories in industrial areas, often away from residential zones, and public opposition to their integration into neighborhoods, reflects a failure to build inclusive and sustainable communities.

Stakeholder Positions and Recommendations for Action

Government Response

The Singaporean government has acknowledged the issues but cites economic concerns as a barrier to comprehensive reform.

• An outright ban on lorry transport is deemed unfeasible, with officials stating it could force small businesses to close and increase costs for public infrastructure projects.
• The government maintains it is encouraging companies to adopt safer transport methods voluntarily.
• Official responses to worker heroism often involve commemorative gestures, which critics label as tokenism that fails to address underlying systemic problems.

Advocacy Group Demands for Legislative Change

Rights groups contend that economic arguments should not supersede fundamental human rights and have proposed several concrete actions aligned with SDG principles.

1. Ban Unsafe Transport: Mandate the use of buses for transporting workers, aligning with international best practices and SDG 3 and SDG 11.
2. Implement a Living Wage: Establish a minimum or living wage to ensure workers can support themselves and achieve a decent standard of living, in line with SDG 8.
3. Strengthen Protections (SDG 16): Enact stronger whistleblower protections and provide subsidized healthcare to safeguard worker well-being and ensure access to justice.
4. Create Pathways to Residency: Reform immigration policy to allow long-term contributing workers a pathway to permanent residency, fulfilling the aims of SDG 10 for greater inclusion.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article highlights significant health and safety risks faced by migrant workers, particularly the unsafe practice of transporting them in flat-bed trucks. This has led to “multiple accidents, some involving deaths,” with specific figures mentioned for 2024: “at least four workers were killed and more than 400 injured.” The poor living conditions in “crowded dormitories,” which became “virus hotbed[s]” during the COVID-19 pandemic, also fall under this goal.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: This is a central theme. The article discusses the lack of “decent work” for migrant workers, citing the absence of a minimum wage, leading to earnings as low as “S$300 ($233; £175) a month.” It also describes exploitative conditions such as “overwork, unpaid labour,” and the need to “protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments,” which are currently compromised by unsafe transport and poor housing.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article extensively details the systemic inequality faced by migrant workers. They are described as a “separate and inferior” class. This is evident in discriminatory policies, such as work permits that prevent them from qualifying for “permanent residency” and requiring “government approval to marry Singaporeans.” This contrasts sharply with the rights of other foreign professionals and local citizens.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The issues of housing and transportation for migrant workers are directly linked to this goal. The article points to inadequate and unsafe housing through its description of “crowded dormitories” located “away from residential areas.” The unsafe transportation on lorries is a critical failure in providing safe and sustainable transport systems for all members of the urban community.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article points to a failure of institutions to protect migrant workers. It mentions that “legislative change has been slow as there has been insufficient political will to enact impactful change.” The call for “stronger whistleblower protections” and the observation that the system “places disproportionate power in the hands of employers” highlight a lack of access to justice and weak institutional safeguards for this vulnerable group.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.6: By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
   • This target is directly relevant due to the article’s focus on the “multiple accidents, some involving deaths” resulting from transporting workers on flat-bed trucks. The statistic that “in 2024, at least four workers were killed and more than 400 injured in similar accidents” underscores the failure to meet this safety target for migrant workers.
2. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all… and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • The article’s discussion of low wages (“as little as S$300 a month”) and the absence of a minimum wage, alongside calls from advocates for a “living wage,” directly relates to the principles of decent work and fair pay.
3. Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers…
   • This is a core issue. The article details numerous violations, including “abuses by recruitment agencies and their employers, including overwork, unpaid labour and poor living conditions.” The unsafe lorry transport is a clear example of a failure to provide a safe working environment.
4. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices…
   • The article highlights discriminatory policies, such as work permit rules that prevent migrant workers from obtaining “permanent residency” regardless of their length of service (one worker mentioned has been there 22 years). The law that allows them to be transported on lorries, a practice forbidden for others, is another example of a discriminatory policy.
5. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing…
   • The description of migrant workers living in “crowded dormitories” that were proven to be unsafe during the COVID-19 pandemic (“worker dormitories emerged as a virus hotbed”) directly addresses the need for adequate and safe housing.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents: The article explicitly provides data that can be used as an indicator for Target 3.6. It states, “In 2024, at least four workers were killed and more than 400 injured in similar accidents.” This serves as a direct measure of the safety of worker transportation.
• Wage levels for low-wage workers: As an indicator for Target 8.5, the article provides a specific figure for low earnings: “some can earn as little as S$300 ($233; £175) a month.” The presence or absence of a minimum wage policy is another clear indicator.
• Prevalence of unsafe working conditions: For Target 8.8, the continued practice of transporting workers on lorries serves as a qualitative indicator of an unsafe working environment. Reports of “overwork, unpaid labour and poor living conditions” are also indicators of the lack of protection for labour rights.
• Discriminatory legal frameworks: As an indicator for Target 10.3, the article points to specific laws and policies. The rules of the “work permit they hold” which prevent them from applying for “permanent residency” or marrying a Singaporean without “government approval” are concrete indicators of discriminatory practices.
• Housing standards: For Target 11.1, the description of “crowded dormitories” and the fact they became a “virus hotbed” are qualitative indicators of inadequate housing. The government’s subsequent action “to improve dormitory standards” implies that these standards can be measured and tracked.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bbc.com