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Photograph Essays | Society | Southeast Asia
Singapore is nearly the one remaining first-world nation the place it’s authorized for migrant staff to be ferried on lorries, a car designed for cargo reasonably than passengers
Singapore is nearly the one remaining first-world nation the place it’s authorized for migrant staff to be ferried on lorries, a car designed for cargo reasonably than passengers. The follow stays authorized in Singapore, whilst international locations within the Center East with giant migrant employee populations, like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Qatar, have banned it.
Regardless of activists and NGOs advocating on this problem for the previous 20 years, the Singapore authorities and industries concerned haven’t proven any inclination towards banning this follow. Following the latest deadly lorry accidents in July 2023, enterprise chambers and associations issued a joint assertion on why phasing lorries out is tough, highlighting the complexities and prices concerned.
The senior minister of state for transport echoed these considerations, explaining {that a} ban on lorries would put many firms out of enterprise. Up to now, there was no analysis into prices of alternate options nor a timeline for phasing out this mode of transport.
Their inertia is paradigmatic of Singapore’s tradition of low-cost labor, the place low price and aggressive income are prioritized over human lives and limbs. Unsafe transport is simply the tip of the iceberg – migrant staff additionally endure cramped residing situations, minimal facilities, and exploitative wages in Singapore.
This picture essay presents the experiences and views of low-wage migrant staff, from the lorries they trip in to their dormitories and worksites.
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