Z-Team

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

I think a transport bus E.g. SBS Bus at a few specific timing to ferry workers can be provided. The cost of the Bus is relatively cheaper based on more people can be ferried and lower accidents and insurance cost. The workers can stand safely on the bus too if needed. It can be a Bus purely to ferry construction workers.

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

I would think that some workers have a better living environment and not all workers have the best environment for living. Some workers have dormitory which is cleaner and safer. Some workers do not have such provisions.

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

increase in costs, competing demands for these modes of transportation

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

no. dorms are not in good condition, conditions are not too good

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

More costly for firms as they may choose to transport workers by bus which requires more money.

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

Yes. Compared to other countries, Singapore is considered a better place for workers to work because of the security and easy mode of transport. Maybe Singaporeans could show more concern and empathy to them, it will be better.

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Greater cost because different types of vehicles are required to separately ferry cargo and passengers

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

No, they need better nutrition

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

firms might not be receptive to the idea if they incur higher cost since this is a long running cost to be incurred once started.

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

definitely not. not only they work in dangerous places without proper protocols put in place at times by their bosses, they also probably face social segregation unfortunately

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Increase building costs

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

No

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

Not really due to long working hours be it rain or shine

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Transport and Operational Cost, Capacity Restrictions on number of workers they can carry on each vehicle

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

Yes, they have manageable responsibilities to handle as the firms delegate work so that each worker takes a small task and less taxing than in the past. No regarding their quality of accommodation, because the Covid-19 pandemic has shed light on small, tight and poor quality food served to them.

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Higher cost.

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

No. The job itself is tough.

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

It might cost significantly higher for the hiring agencies which might compromise the workers’ other privileges.

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

Absolutely not. As we saw from the upheaval of covid cases amongst worker , it is evident that they are not given even a safe space to live in. They are given the minimum for a human to survive and are often treated harshly. A lot of workers are complaining about the food quality as well which is very heart wrenching to be seen especially in a country like Singapore.

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Higher cost

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

sort of but I’m not too sure as I don’t interact much with them

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Higher costs for them, but less accidents, more humane in a sense

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

No

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

Not really. During covid, we kept them under lockdown even as the general public were allowed to head back to malls etc. They work long hours for low pay, and are sometimes looked down upon by the public

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Budget issues!

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

No

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

You Guys have to survey them to get the Answer. If you ask me, No , the state of dormitories before covid restrictions was very clustered, and working life, sometimes they are racing their deadlines

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Costs of the transportation. Purchasing of new vehicles/ features.

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

No

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

No. With the multiple news or sights we see around in singapore, we can clearly see the type of working life they have under the hot sun.Great improvement have to be made.

In response to "What do you think are some of the issues that can arise when construction firms change to a safer mode of transportation for their workers?"

Mostly financial - it\'d be added costs for the construction firms.

In response to "Would you agree that construction firms prioritise the safety of their workers over productivity during work?"

Yes

In response to "Do you think that construction workers in Singapore have a comfortable working life? Why or why not?"

Depends on companies - each firm has different SOPs and it also boils down to regulation.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Can lobby for improvement in workers welfare by providing a proper living area for workers to stay E.g More dormitory to be build and also ensure they have the access to proper health care needs through a channel where they can raise their emergencies if they are met with a healthcare issue and not experience language barrier or authority barriers issues when raising their health care needs. E.g employers might face higher healthcare insurance cost if workers claim their medical cost.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Its quite hard to change all firms\' ways of transporting workers by lorry hence can also find a companty that provides affordable and comfortable transport to cut down costs.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Would it be useful to identify the exact safety lapse for using lorry to ferry passengers? When we were young, my cousins and I used to travel around on the back of lorry with my uncle, and it wasn’t an issue. If the team can pinpoint the exact safety issue that has led to death/severe injuries, then the team can better propose a few alternatives for companies to consider e.g. (1) switch to bus transportation; (2) bus-pool for workers across various companies; (3) if need to use lorry, can introduce safety measures e.g. seatbelt to secure workers. Also, if lorries are unacceptable, are cargo vans acceptable? This may be useful for the team to analyse further.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

podcast is great, but can all of them listen to English as well as others?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

In order to work with companies, you need to engage with Ministry of manpower to highlight the importance of safety for construction workers. Also, we can involve the public to report if they see any non compliance of safety for workers at construction sites and work. Also, the team can partner with ItsRainingRainCoats migrant worker organisation to understand what these migrant workers need and organise events for them to join. I love the podcast idea and would be great to also interview Singaporeans that work closely with migrant workers as well. As such I propose to interview 3 groups of people: 1. Migrant workers themselves, 2. Singaporeans that work closely with Migrant workers (e.g. Supervisors at Construction Site), 3. Public. You may consider to expand the podcast to a mini-series to debunk myths of what Singaporeans think of Migrant workers and feature short-stories of the lives of migrant workers.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Also work with upcoming transport sharing apps to see if they could offer bus transport at a more affordable rate, maybe the construction company will consider then?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

While tackling this issue also make sure to talk to workers who are living in harsh conditions and what they have done so far to stand up against it. Be fully equipped with the knowledge on why companies refuse to give workers good living conditions as well. In order to keep your project sustainable , you guys can tap into volunteers ( in schools and colleges) who can help the workers directly such as fund raising, speeding awareness and what not. All the best!

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Conduct a thorough survey before setting the goals

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I like the idea of podcasts, just that you would need to find a way to disseminate the info among the workers, which is where your partnerships come in. However, my question is, how much influence do you have above and beyond what these NGOs are already doing, and thus how do you intend to get them to change their ways? Cost is a big issue that is not easily swayed by talking, so perhaps what you could look into are potential investments/financial assistance/increasing awareness of the cost of having accidents from these unsafe practices

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Collect Data and statistics of Migrant workers dorms.(figure a way to language barrier) Well their lifestyle is different from residents of Singapore, that does not mean they are different from us. You can introduce active lifestyle (exercising, English learning workshops ) it will improve physical and mental capabilities. There must be a Movement going in order to accomplish your goals! All the best

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I would think the biggest issue here is cost. Probably look out for investors or work with organisation to support this cause.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Have you watched this episode of Talking Point? https://youtu.be/AnFvRL91dX4? This has been an ongoing issue and it seems like the biggest bug point has got to be costs - perhaps you can look into lobbying for financial assistance to construction companies to provide safer transport for the worker.