Investigating the Persistent Problem of Safe Transportation for Migrant Workers
Migrant construction workers have long struggled with unsafe transportation and poor food quality in Singapore. But much of what we know focuses on workers’ experiences. How do employers and industry stakeholders perceive these issues? How do young Singaporeans view the urgency of these problems? How have other nations done things differently? SMU-X students investigated these questions in collaboration with HOME, a Singapore-based charity dedicated to supporting migrant workers through welfare, empowerment and advocacy.
Safe transportation and proper food provision have been longstanding issues for migrant construction workers. To provide a different perspective on these problems, SMU students interviewed representatives from the construction industry, logistics professionals, and transportation companies. Looking beyond Singapore, students then explored how other Asian countries like Thailand, Bahrain, and the UAE dealt with similar issues.
To further inform HOME’s advocacy work, several class groups also ran their own survey on public sentiments towards safe transport and food security for migrant workers.
Students were well aware that we would not be solving migrant workers’ problems in one module. However, this SMU-X course was designed to provide information and perspectives that NGOs like HOME would have difficulty accessing on its own.
Through their research, SMU-X students provided a different perspective of the barriers to safe transportation and food security for migrant construction workers.
Some of their insights include:
- Detailed case studies of countries who successfully banned the use of lorries for transporting workers. Students found that places like Bahrain and Thailand also rely heavily on migrant construction workers but unlike Singapore, they were able to transition to safer modes of transportation.
- In-depth interviews with employers, bus companies, food providers, and dormitory administrators. Students revealed how other stakeholders in the construction industry grapple with the costs and logistics of transporting and feeding construction workers.
- Statistics on how Singaporean youth perceive the issues of food security and safe transportation. Class survey results show that young Singaporeans support better treatment of migrant construction workers but know very little about the proposed solutions to these issues.
Yasmin Ortiga, Assistant Professor of Sociology, SMU: “In this course, my students and I had to grapple with the reality that there are no easy solutions to the issues that migrant workers face. My challenge as an instructor was making sure that my students don’t give up on this problem - because our client, HOME, never did! In the end, everyone worked hard to contribute as much as we could to HOME’s advocacy needs. I am so proud of my students.”
Stephanie Chok, Executive Director, HOME: "Working with Yasmin and her SMU-X students has been a really enjoyable and enriching experience. The students were engaged and produced work that was insightful and useful. It was very heartening to read and view their work at the end of the semester and HOME appreciates the efforts of the students in addressing the real-life issues migrant workers experience in Singapore on a daily basis."
Jessie Lim Jun Min, Student, School of Social Sciences: "In this experience, the biggest takeaway was the importance of reframing — how to see the issue from a different perspective and work around bureaucratic barriers. Our interviewees represented different voices who each had their own stake in the issue. This helped us flesh out the multifaceted and complex nature of the issue, opening up spaces for meaningful discussions and a positive societal impact."