Beyond the unpaid wages: What 400 migrant workers taught me

Most of the over 400 migrant workers who sought help over alleged unpaid salaries at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) have since been placed in new jobs, according to the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC), more than a month after the news broke on 22 June 2026.

The development marks a significant step forward in a case that raised questions about wage protection, employer responsibility and the support available to migrant workers when things go wrong.

MWC said it worked with partners including the MOM, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), NTUC, employer groups and community organisations to help affected workers pursue salary claims, meet their immediate needs and secure new employment.

Through the Migrant Workers Assistance Fund, it also provided financial support for their salary claims.

For me, the update brought back memories of the morning I first met many of those workers outside the MOM Services Centre in Bendemeer.

I expected an angry mob

When I first arrived at the services centre that day, I expected confrontation.

More than 100 migrant workers from KPA Engineering and SK Industries turned up to seek help over alleged unpaid salaries.

Before speaking to anyone, I wondered whether frustration might spill over. Images of the Little India Riots in 2013 came to mind.

Some said they had not been paid since as early as April. Others said they had been trying to contact their employers over the weekend but could not get a response.

If I were owed months of salary, I would have been fuming.

The workers I spoke with were calm. They were worried, yes. But they were also polite, patient and willing to explain what had happened to them.

That contrast stayed with me.

Being ghosted by your own boss

One conversation in particular has lingered on my mind.

A worker described repeatedly calling his employer.

"We try to reach, no answer. We try to call ... ring, but no answer."

It was a simple account, but it captured the uncertainty many of the workers were living with.

Being unable to reach an employer is frustrating in any job. But when wages have stopped, the consequences become much greater.

An unanswered phone call raises questions that are difficult to ignore. "Will I be paid? Do I still have a job? Can I remain in Singapore? How will my family cope?"

For many of the workers, the uncertainty appeared to be as distressing as the unpaid wages themselves.

Migrant workers trusted their boss but got robbed of their salaries instead

The workers told me that delayed salaries had happened before.

Previously, they told me, payment eventually arrived. That history seemed to explain why some waited before seeking help. They believed the delays would be resolved as they had been in the past.

One worker, 36-year-old supervisor Dinesh, said he was owed almost $7,000 in salary that had not been paid since April.

He had worked for the company for 11 years. His story illustrated something that statistics often fail to capture.

People generally do not remain with the same employer for more than a decade without developing a degree of trust. And that trust appeared to have influenced the workers' decisions to continue reporting for work despite not receiving their salaries.

When that trust broke down, the financial consequences quickly became personal.

The impact stretched beyond Singapore

As I spoke to more workers, another theme emerged.

Many had borrowed heavily to secure employment in Singapore. Some said they still owed more than $10,000 in agency-related debts.

That meant they were not simply waiting for income; they were trying to keep up with debts incurred just to come here to work.

For many migrant workers, employment is a family investment. Families borrow money, sell assets or use savings in the expectation that regular remittances will follow.

When salaries stop, those expectations collapse.

Several workers told me they had not been able to send money home for months. One of the most painful things was when a worker said his children had stopped attending school because the family could no longer afford the costs.

That moment made clear how wage disputes can extend far beyond a workplace in Singapore. Their effects are felt in households hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.

These were the burdens these workers carried on their shoulders.

NTUC and MWC provided food, transport and dormitory outreach

MWC responded quickly after learning of the situation from the beginning, from engaging the affected workers, to assisting with food and transport support, and advising on salary claims.

This mattered because some workers had little or no money left for meals. Some also could not afford transport back to their dormitories.

That kind of help might sound trivial, but on that day, it was essential.

MWC officers also went to various dormitories to engage other affected workers who had not gone to MOM earlier.

That outreach was important. Not every worker may know where to go for help.

Some may be afraid. Others may not fully understand their rights or the processes available to them.

By going to the dormitories, MWC brought the support closer to the workers.

Financial aid helped workers cover daily expenses

NTUC and MWC stepped up support with financial assistance and job-matching efforts, including a $100 cash allowance to help affected workers with daily expenses.

For workers with little to no cash on hand, the assistance helped address immediate needs – pay some debts to friends, top up their prepaid phones so they can call home, those kinds of immediate needs.

It did not erase the stress of unpaid salaries or agency debt, but it gave workers some breathing room.

It meant they could buy essentials, cover small daily expenses and focus on the next steps instead of worrying only about the next meal.

Job matching gave affected migrant workers a path forward

What stood out was that many workers wanted to continue working in Singapore.

They were not asking for sympathy. They wanted their salaries recovered, but they also wanted stable employment. They still had families to support and debts to repay.

That made job placement a critical part of the response.

MWC organised several job placement exercises to match workers with companies that came forward to offer employment.

Even NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng received messages from the public – mostly companies that offer jobs, food and even free medical care.

MWC’s work with employer partners mattered because it helped create a more direct route for workers to move into new jobs.

In a situation where many workers were already struggling with agency debts, reducing the need for further intermediary costs was important.

Why early help matters for migrant workers facing unpaid salaries

The response from NTUC and MWC showed why early intervention matters.

The support began with immediate needs: food, transport and dormitory outreach.

It then expanded into financial aid, help with salary claims, coordination with MOM and TADM, accommodation support and job matching.

Each step addressed a different part of the workers’ uncertainty.

MWC Director Michael Lim said the centre wanted to be on site early to assure workers that MWC would assist them and to understand what they were going through.

That reassurance mattered because the workers needed more than information. They needed someone to listen, guide them and stay with them through the process.

No worker should have to face unpaid salaries alone.

But from what I saw on the ground, NTUC and MWC’s role was clear: to step in quickly, meet immediate needs, help workers understand their options and support them towards stability.

For the workers I spoke with, that support meant they were no longer left making phone calls to an employer who never answered.

Migrant workers who need help can approach MWC through its 24-hour helpline at 6536 2692.