MOM tapping migrant worker network for alerts on issues like salary claims

Their cases were resolved within a week and the workers received payment from the employer.

He added that claims filed by four other workers from the same company were in the midst of being processed before the first large group of workers turned up at MOM on June 22.

Incidence of salary claims had increased in Singapore from 2021, based on the Employment Standards Report 2025 released by MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) in July.

The sharpest increase was for foreign employees, jumping from 2.1 per 1,000 employees in 2021 to 5.16 per 1,000 employees in 2025.

The report also showed that of the salary claims lodged in 2025, 92 per cent of employees fully recovered their wages at TADM or the Employment Claims Tribunal.

In the case of the over 400 workers, Dinesh said the ministry could have expeditiously addressed their issues if the workers had raised them early.

That said, a “relatively good outcome” was achieved for them, he added.

Among other things, the National Trades Union Congress’ Migrant Workers’ Centre helped with finding new jobs and provided financial aid of $200 to its members.

As at Aug 3, MOM has rehoused 361 affected workers who needed alternative accommodation at the Onboard Centre, while 392 workers who chose to remain in Singapore have secured new employment with around 135 companies.

The company director, Indian national and Singapore permanent resident Ramu Palani Velu, who has been declared bankrupt, is being investigated by MOM.

Losing jobs

Dr Stephanie Chok, executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, said based on its casework experience, migrant workers are reluctant to report salary issues because they fear losing their jobs and being repatriated.

She added that this fear is heightened when they have yet to recover their recruitment costs, which can be as high as $12,000.

“Early reporting will become more realistic only when workers can change employers without requiring their employer’s consent, have access to reliable job matching, are protected against retaliatory feedback and immediate repatriation, and can lift the burden of incurring further recruitment debt,” she said.

Dinesh said there were three learning points from the episode.

First, he said workers need to advocate for themselves.

Second, employers have to be responsible and comply with the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. 

Third, the ministry has to “tighten up areas that may have certain deficiencies” that it has identified once the investigations are over, such as taking action against phantom workers. 

MOM controls foreign labour numbers through the dependency ratio ceiling (DRC) by tying foreign work pass limits to local employee headcounts.

There have been cases of firms hiring “phantom local workers” to boost their foreign labour count.

“The (DRC) is there for the purpose of making sure that you get a fair share of Singaporeans and migrant workers, and it cannot be migrant workers for migrant workers’ sake.

“It has to be in support of Singaporeans,” he said.

But employers will also need support, he said, adding: “We also have to look out for employers to make sure that it’s sustainable for them.”

Dinesh referred to the local qualifying salary, which sets the minimum salary that local employees must be paid in firms that hire foreign workers. It was raised from $1,600 to $1,800 since July.

“Given the business outlook, we have to be cautious about imposing too much on our employers as well,” Dinesh said, adding that when employers cannot sustain their operations, workers lose their jobs. “We try not to create a situation where one party benefits at the expense of another party.

“It’s always about trying to reach a comfortable equilibrium across government, across the unions, and across employers.”

Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we said migrant workers were volunteering under the Friends of ACE programme. MOM has since clarified that it has merged with the MWC Ambassador Network.