Dinesh Vasu Dash and Tan Dawn Wei discuss migrant workers - the unpaid wage saga and their role in our economy.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each week, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

The Straits Times columnist Tan Dawn Wei sits down with Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash to discuss his transition to the Cabinet and how his background in healthcare for vulnerable groups shapes his approach to labour policy.

The conversation tackles a major wage crisis where over 400 migrant workers went unpaid, sparking a debate on whether Singapore’s system is adequate in picking up early warning signs. 

The Minister of State also outlines a future with fewer but better paid migrant workers and better living conditions, concluding with a call for stronger social integration and mutual empathy between Singaporeans and migrant workers.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

1:38 Transitioning to the manpower portfolio: Dinesh Vasu Dash discusses how his previous role in integrated healthcare shaped his focus on safeguarding low-wage and vulnerable workers.

10:06 The unpaid wage crisis: An update on the tripartite intervention that recovered salaries for the workers left stranded.

17:37 Why ground-level officers didn't pick up the unpaid wage case earlier.

26:43 NGO recommendations and their feasibility.

28:45 Regulating recruitment debt: Examining the high upfront fees workers pay in source countries.

35:13 Foreign worker levies: Has it achieved its objective?

39:04 What will Singapore’s manpower landscape look like in 20 years?

45:26 Social integration as a two-way street.

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Tan Dawn Wei (dawntan@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

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