Humans Aren't Cargo

This letter, sent to the Straits Times forum, was not published in the newspaper. However, it was published by Transient Workers Count Too in its newsletter . Safe Transport for Workers Dear Editor, I have read about the topic of unsafe transportation of migrant workers on the back of trucks and I would like to share a little points that you could ponder upon before listening to what many might state is no issue at all. Firstly, consider that there is already a complete ban on transporting people on the back of trucks by some countries. Britain and Bahrain have issued this ban completely. 30 out of the 50 states of the US issue some restriction on how people are ferried on trucks. Secondly, consider the feasibility of the alternative, namely buses. I will quote here: “Mr Neo Tiam Beng, president of the Singapore School and Private Hire Bus Owners' Association says that the operators who run some 4,000 private buses for hire here have the capacity to provide transportation to forei...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 29 June 2010. Getting street smart on worker transport safety Enhance safety now, but stop ferrying workers in lorries in the long run By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent Straits Times, Jun 30, 2010 Image credit: ST LAST Tuesday, a Toyota Dyna lorry carrying Chinese construction workers skidded and overturned near the Thomson Road exit of the Pan-Island Expressway. Some workers - perched on the vehicle's open deck - were flung out. Three died. Fourteen were injured. Traffic accidents of this kind happen, but it is sad to see them recurring. The lorry flouted safety regulations by carrying more people than is allowed by law. And though it had railings, these obviously did not help. The incident led Members of Parliament and community workers to suggest that enhanced safety rules for lorries ferrying workers - announced last August - should kick in sooner than September 2012. By then, all lorries carrying workers must have h...

The following article was posted by The Online Citizen on June 28, 2010. TOC Special Feature: Safer transport – what are we waiting for? Story by Stephanie Chok / Video edited by Natalie Soh / Pictures by Stephanie Chok & Mykel Yee / Additional reporting by Patrick Chng / As a nation, we are wired, advanced and wealthy. So surely Singapore can find a better, safer yet financially feasible alternative to transporting humans on the cargo decks of lorries? It is illegal in China[1] and banned in Bahrain.[2] It shocks overseas guests,[3] including migrant workers from around the region who endure this mode of transport daily. Shen, a construction worker from China, says, “When I first arrived at Changi Airport, I was so impressed. Then a goods vehicle came to pick us up. I was shocked and felt very ill-at-ease, why is this company sending a goods vehicle to pick us up?” Construction worker, Yash, says that in India, people take buses (though they may not be luxurious) – if employers t...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 28 June 2010. MPs to raise lorry safety in Parliament They also question if it is too easy for foreigners to get driving licence By Ng Kai Ling Straits Times, Jun 28, 2010 Reproduced photo caption: Some MPs want the Government to consider phasing out the use of lorries for ferrying workers altogether, in the long run. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM THE issue of using lorries to ferry workers will come up in Parliament next month, with three members of the House having already submitted questions on it. In the wake of the accident last week which killed three workers and injured 14, the Members of Parliament want the Transport Ministry to explain whether: - The previously announced safety measures, such as having higher side railings and canopies, can be enforced earlier than the planned Sept 1, 2012; - The measures announced last August are enough to ensure workers' safety; - It is too easy for foreigners who work as drivers ...

The following article was published in The New Paper on 27 June 2010. You have the power to protect them By Eugene Wee The New Paper 27 June 2010 Three foreign workers died earlier this week after the lorry transporting them lost control along the PIE near Thomson Road. And many called for the enhanced measures to protect such workers to be enforced now instead of 2012 as scheduled. But is this enough? Workers may be a little safer on the road, but what of the host of other problems that beset them? Many live in squalid dorms. Others are worked to the bone, hardly getting any time off. If they get injured or sick, some employers find every excuse in the book to get out of paying for their treatment. The reason for a lot of these happening is simple - we, as consumers, want everything as cheap as possible, If we continue to demand the cheapest option available, businesses will find ways to give it to us. Cost gets cut by putting a few more workers behind the lorry to reduce trips, shov...

This letter was published in TODAY on 26 June 2010. What price a worker's life? Ignoring safety will cost firms more in the long run Letter from Jolovan Wham Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics TODAY Jun 26, 2010 WE REFER to "Expedite timetable, train lorry drivers" (June 24). The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics agrees with Chairman for the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, that the deadline for employers to comply with the new transport regulations should be expedited. The Land Transport Authority has given employers until 2012 to install higher railings and canopies on their lorries. Do the lives of foreign workers which are lost during this period before the deadline not matter? Based on the press release issued last year when the new measures were announced, it is worth noting that the work group which recommended them did not have any union representatives or worker's groups on its committee. Theref...

The following letter was published in the Straits Times forum on 26 June 2010. Jun 26, 2010 WORKERS IN FATAL CRASH Parliament must act to ensure safety I REFER to Wednesday's report ('New safety rules should kick in sooner, many say'), and fully agree with Madam Halimah Yacob, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, that buses are the best way to transport workers. In fact, it should be the only way. Tuesday's fatal accident killed three foreign workers who were among a group of workers being transported in a lorry when the crash occurred. It seems clear enough that ferrying people on the back of lorries built to carry goods is dangerous. Installation of higher railings is ineffective when the lorry tips over or when another vehicle hits the side of the lorry. Tuesday's accident suggests that Parliament cannot maintain that its paramount aim is worker safety, and yet contradict itself by accepting that installing canopies and higher railings ...

The following letter was published in TODAY on 26 June 2010. Don't just look at cost Letter from Heng Chee How Executive Secretary, Building, Construction and Timber Industries Employees’ Union (Batu) TODAY Jun 26, 2010 The Building, Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union is troubled and dismayed by the injury and deaths of workers from accidents involving open-top vehicles, year after year. Workers have a right to safe workplaces, decent and hygienic housing, and safe modes of transport. Costs and profitability should not be reasons for taking the safety of workers less seriously than they should be. It is easy to blame workers and drivers for the accidents, and in some cases, they may be at fault. Yet, whether it is the choice of vehicle or driver, or deciding the number of passengers these vehicles carry, employers have the responsibility to ensure that their company arrangements comply with safety standards. We urge the authorities to make clear these standards...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 26 June 2010. Worker-transport safety rules may come sooner By Daryl Chin Straits Times, Jun 26, 2010 Reproduced photo caption: After a recent spate of accidents involving workers on lorries, a public outcry ensued. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) is considering bringing forward the implementation of stricter measures to ensure the safety of workers when being transported. In a statement sent to The Straits Times, it said: 'We are looking into the circumstances of the recent accidents and if necessary, we will consider doing more, including bringing forward the implementation of the remaining measures.' The remaining measures include higher protective side railings and canopies to be installed on all lorries used to transport workers, and increasing the minimum deck space per seated worker from the current 4 sq ft to 8 sq ft. In the meantime, LTA said it will further step up enforcement...

The following letter was published in the Straits Times on 26 June 2010. Workers want urgent action Straits Times, Jun 26, 2010 THE Building, Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union is troubled and dismayed at the injury and deaths of workers from accidents involving open-top vehicles year after year. Workers have a right to safe work places, decent and hygienic housing, and safe transport. Businesses must worry about costs and profitability. That is fair, but it is not a reason for taking the safety of workers less seriously than they should. It is convenient to fault workers and drivers for the accidents. While they may be at fault in cases, the issue is about employers practising due diligence for key aspects of the safety process; be it the choice of vehicle used, driving skills or passenger load. We urge the authorities to reinforce these safety standards, and implement and enforce them rigorously without delay. The latest string of such mishaps requires urgent act...

The following letter was published in the Straits Times forum on 26 June 2010. Don't wait for new measures Straits Times, Jun 26, 2010 THE Land Transport Authority has given employers until 2012 to install higher railings and canopies on their lorries. Does it not matter that more lives of foreign workers could be lost during this period before the deadline? It is worth noting that when the new measures were announced, the work group which recommended them did not have any union representative or workers' group on its committee. So, it is not surprising that the recommendations fell short of ensuring more urgent action to ensure worker safety. We hope that Tuesday's fatal accident off the Pan- Island Expressway, in which three workers died, will not be treated as just another statistic. It should be a strong wake-up call to fix the inadequacies of the current system with more effective and comprehensive measures. Jolovan Wham Executive Director Humanitarian Organisation for...

The following letter was published in the Straits Times forum on 26 June 2010. Speeding by lorry drivers the deadliest danger Straits Times, Jun 26, 2010 TUESDAY'S fatal accident involving the death of three foreign workers being ferried in a lorry and similar tragedies are not due to safety issues regarding the mode of transport or the manner in which these workers are ferried. The primary culprit is speeding. Lorries travelling faster than most cars is a common sight. And heavy or sudden braking by such large speeding vehicles inevitably invites tragedy. So, drivers of such vehicles and their minders - employers - should pay primary attention to the fact that they should not speed while driving a lorry for any reason. Indeed, it may be worth checking what speed the drivers were travelling at in accidents involving lorries or similar vehicles. Speeding also drastically reduces the chances of taking timely evasive action in emergencies. Most workers, who sit at the back of the lorr...

The following article was published in The New Paper on 24 June 2010. Colleague of worker who died in lorry crash says... He came here because life was tough in China By Vivien Chan The New Paper 24 June 2010 Three of their countrymen had died in a horrific crash the day before. Yesterday morning, 15 Chinese nationals, employees of CREC Construction, turned up at the mortuary. Their two bosses were there to identify the bodies of the three workers - Mr Li Jia Jun, Mr Li Xian Long, both in their 40s, and Mr Qiu Min Jun, 46. Among the workers who were at the mortuary was the 22-year-old driver of the lorry. He had a bandaged left ankle. The rest of the workers who turned up were not involved in the crash. Solemn Their boss, Mr Zhao Xue Bin, 41, the director of the construction firm, declined to be interviewed. He wore a solemn expression and frowned often. A worker, who also declined to be named, told The New Paper that he knew Mr Li Xian Long, as they are both from Hebei province. He sa...

The following editorial was published in the Business Times on 24 June 2010. Foreign lives not worth much? EDITORIAL, Business Times Thursday, 24 June 2010 THREE workers died, and 14 were injured, when the lorry they were travelling in skidded and overturned off the Pan-Island Expressway yesterday morning. So, with at least 17 people in the Toyota Dyna, there would have been more than a dozen men hanging on in the back of the open-top truck. Just another everyday sighting on Singapore’s highways. Except that this particular trip did end tragically, with three lives lost. Accidents involving lorries plying workers – typically foreigners – in the cargo decks are hardly exceptional here. In fact, three of the four traffic accidents that the Singapore Civil Defence Force responded to yesterday morning alone involved lorries. In May 2009, four foreign workers were killed after the lorry they were in crashed into the back of a stationary trailer in Tuas. Perhaps the casualty statistics – whi...

The following article was published in The New Paper on 24 June 2010. 'Bosses force us to drive illegally' By Vivien Chan Danson Cheong Lim Wei Li Ng Yang Han Kenneth Goh The New Paper, 24 June 2010 They are hired as construction workers but are told by their employers to double as drivers. These foreign workers risk getting their work permits cancelled by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) if they get caught. As it is, in just the first half of last year, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) took 24 companies to task under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act for illegally deploying foreign workers as drivers. In addition, 26 foreign construction and marine workers were found to have been illegally deployed as drivers. The New Paper spoke to 22 foreign workers yesterday. Two admitted that their bosses made them drive company lorries occasionally. Both claimed they had little choice but to comply with their employers' instructions. Made to sit test One of them, a 28 year-old constr...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 24 June 2010. Driver in fatal lorry crash arrested Lorry was carrying 15 workers in back even though only 13 allowed By Ted Chen & Bryan Toh Straits Times, Jun 24, 2010 Reproduced photo caption: The driver, who is believed to be in his early 20s, is currently out on $10,000 bail. -- ST FILE PHOTO THE driver who lost control of his lorry, resulting in an accident that left three foreign workers dead on Tuesday morning, has been arrested. Believed to be in his early 20s, the man, whose identity was not released by the police, is currently out on $10,000 bail. He is understood to be a Chinese national employed by CREC Construction. Police also confirmed yesterday that there were 15 people riding in the back of the lorry at the time. It was authorised to carry only 13 riders in its cargo bay. All 15 workers in the back were thrown out of the vehicle when it mounted a metal divider before coming to rest on its side on the PIE s...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 24 June 2010. Too easy for foreigners to drive in Singapore? By Daryl Chin & Jalelah Abu Baker Straits Times, Jun 24, 2010 FOREIGN nationals who want to drive a motorcycle or car in Singapore need only have a valid licence from their home country, be above 18 years of age and pass a written test. They can then convert their licence to a Singapore one. But there is a caveat for work permit holders - their companies need to apply to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in order for them to be designated drivers. They also need to be from certain sectors, such as the service sector and manufacturing, before they are able to sit for the theory test. Even then, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, believes the time has come for change: 'A simple written test might not be enough to ensure they know how to drive on Singapore's roads.' Two days ago, three Chinese nationals were k...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 24 June 2010. Safety calls grow after 2nd accident By Hoe Pei Shan Straits Times, Jun 24, 2010 Six injured as 24ft lorry carrying 40 workers crashes into tree in Jurong Port Road Reproduced photo caption: A fallen street sign after the accident early yesterday involving this lorry, which the company owner says had complied with regulations. --PHOTOS: BRYAN TOH, SHIN MIN ST photo CALLS for stricter rules governing the transportation of workers - as well as the bringing forward of their implementation - have grown louder, following another accident early yesterday morning. A 24ft lorry carrying 40 workers crashed into a tree in Jurong Port Road, injuring six, with two treated for head injuries at the National University Hospital (NUH). The accident was the second involving a lorry transporting workers in as many days. President of the migrant worker advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), Mr John Gee, called for a s...

The following letters were published in the Straits Times forum on 24 June 2010. 'Lorries not meant to transport people' MS TAN CHUI HUA: 'It is time for the Land Transport Authority to take passenger safety seriously. To insist on technicalities such as overcrowding of lorries or whether railings should be installed over a specified period does not address the core issue which is lorries are not meant to transport people. The attention paid to passenger safety in buses and cars versus the indifferent attitude towards the risks faced by passengers in lorries suggests double standards.' 'I cannot comprehend why LTA raised the speed limit' MR CHIANG MENG LEE: 'My answer to Wednesday's report ('Must workers travel this way?') is yes. Provided, of course, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) effectively ensures that these lorries observe the 60kmh speed limit and they are confined to travelling on the slowest lane on the expressways. I cannot comprehen...

The following article was published in TODAY on 24 June 2010. Expedite timetable, train lorry drivers by Jeremy Koh TODAY Jun 24, 2010 After recent accidents, Dr Lim Wee Kiak wants safety rules to kick in quickly SINGAPORE - Nine male workers were injured when a lorry they were in skidded and crashed into a tree at the junction of Jurong Port Road and Jalan Buroh yesterday morning. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said all nine suffered cuts and bruises and were sent to hospital. The boss of Siling Engineering Transportation Company, Mr Simon Subra, claims the lorry was not overcrowded at the time. It is the second accident involving a vehicle carrying foreign workers in two days. On Tuesday, three workers were killed when their lorry overturned along the PIE. Chairman for the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, said new rules to enhance the safety of workers transported on lorries should kick in sooner rather than later. He was referring to measures int...

The following article was published in The New Paper on 23 June 2010. They're still flouting the rules By Kenneth Goh The New Paper, 23 June 2010 Photo credit: TNP. Reproduced photo caption: HEIGHTENED DANGER: These foreign workers, spotted sitting on stools and plastic chairs or perched on equipment and wooden crates, could be seriously hurt if the lorries swerve. Less than 12 hours after the horrific accident and less than 100m away, lorry drivers ferrying foreign workers were seen tempting fate and flouting the law. Some workers sat on stools or plastic chairs n the lorries. Others were perched on piles of equipment and wooden crates. This is against Land Transport Authority rules. They were seated too high - their shoulders were well above the side-railings - putting them in peril should the vehicle swerve or be involved in an accident. The New Paper team spent 30 minutes keeping a lookout during the evening rush hour at an overhead bridge near Catholic Junior College on the P...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 23 June 2010. Three dead, 14 injured as lorry tips over Workers flung off vehicle as it went out of control By Ted Chen & Bryan Toh The Straits Times Jun 23, 2010 Reproduced photo caption: SCDF officers attending to the injured workers yesterday morning. Of the 14 sent to hospital for treatment, eight of them were discharged by late yesterday. The remaining six were kept to be treated for trauma and cuts, but all were in stable condition. -- ST PHOTOS: WONG KWAI CHOW THREE Chinese nationals in their 40s were killed in the morning rush hour yesterday when the lorry they were riding in skidded and tipped over just off the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE). Fourteen of their colleagues, all also male, were hurt in the accident, which took place along the slip road towards Thomson Road, just off the Changi-bound side of the PIE. The vehicle was authorised to carry 13 passengers at the back and has space for up to three in the front...

The following article was published in the Straits Times on 23 June 2010. New safety rules should kick in sooner, many say By Ng Kai Ling & Daryl Chin The Straits Times Jun 23, 2010 Reproduced photo caption: Many lorries can be spotted on roads here ferrying workers under potentially unsafe conditions - like this lorry seen above, which had its tailgate half open. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN WITH three workers killed and more than a dozen injured in yesterday's accident, questions have once again been raised about the adequacy of the measures taken to ensure their safety to and from their worksites. Members of Parliament and representatives of worker-welfare groups, when reacting to news of the accident, asked, for example, why employers who transport their workers on the backs of lorries should be given until 2012 to comply with the stepped-up safety measures. In fact, Madam Halimah Yacob - who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Manpower - wants to know w...

The following article was published online in the Straits Times on 22 June 2010. 3 dead in PIE accident By Ted Chen and Bryan Toh Straits Times Jun 22, 2010 Reproduced photo caption: A motorvehicle accident involving a lorry left two casualties and 15 injured at Jalan Toa Payoh flyover to Changi Airport. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW PHOTO CREDIT: STRAITS TIMES THREE workers died on Tuesday morning when a lorry carrying excess passengers skidded and overturned on the slip road from PIE towards Thomson Road. Two died on the spot while another died later at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), where 14 others were sent for treatment of injuries. All 17 are Chinese nationals and work for CREC Construction Pte Ltd. The lorry skidded and slammed into the metal railings of the divider separating the slip road to Thomson Road and the PIE. When ambulances arrived at 8.10am, two men were found in a drain along the divider, one of whom was already dead. Most of the vehicle damage was on its left si...