#trending: Netizens express concern over viral post claiming migrant workers slept overnight in the open near work site

SINGAPORE — A recent Reddit post has left online users expressing concerns over migrant workers’ sleeping conditions when several workers were spotted sleeping overnight on yoga mats near their work sites.

On online forum Reddit, a user named “agentspinach” posted on Sunday (Aug 20) several images they had taken of migrant workers resting and sleeping on yoga mats outdoors, supposedly near their work sites.

It is not known where or when the photos were taken. 

The Redditor gave further context in the caption of the images, saying that they had noticed migrant workers resting at the location for the “past few nights”, before waking up at around 7am when the workers’ supervisors would arrive.

The Redditor then questioned if it was a “new trend” to allow migrant workers to sleep next to their workplace to avoid transporting them in lorries.

Such worries are not unfounded, with recent accidents involving migrant workers seated at the back of lorries that prompted petitions and parliamentary motions highlighting the dangerous nature of transporting migrant workers that way. 

Of the three images in the Reddit post, two showed migrant workers laying down on mats that were placed sparsely along a pavement that led to a small building.

The third image showed a group of workers listening to a briefing at the same location. There were barricades surrounding a small excavator nearby, in what may be their work site.

As of Monday afternoon, the post had received 701 upvotes and 121 comments.

Responding to TODAY's queries, a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokesperson said on August 25 that they were aware of the Reddit post, but found that the claims made were not accurate. 

"We have identified these migrant workers to be working on a project in the vicinity and were waiting for their transport to bring them back to the dormitories after their shift duties, and a new group of workers subsequently arrived to start their shift," said an MOM spokesperson. 

Several Redditors were quick to express their concern about the workers’ sleeping conditions, suggesting that the original poster send a report to MOM for further action.

One user wrote: “That’s just messed up, especially given how unpredictable the weather has been recently. Scratch that, this is completely unacceptable at any time.

"Please write in to MOM and your MP (Member of Parliament) about this. Workers should not be sleeping rough and out in the streets just for work.”

Another chimed in: “Foreign workers sleep under bridges and on benches at Marina Bay, too... it's far more comfortable and fresh than their bunks.”

However, a top comment by Redditor “Genestah” said that sleeping near work sites may be a deliberate choice by workers despite having proper accommodation. 

"Genestah" claimed to be an engineer who has been working with foreign workers for more than 10 years and wrote: “They prefer to sleep near the site regardless of comfort. Because they want to have as much sleep and rest as possible.

“Sleeping for eight hours is much better than sleeping for five hours. Where they sleep doesn't matter to them.

"If you don't believe me, go find a foreign worker and ask them which ones they prefer: Eight hours of sleep or a comfortable ride. I'll guarantee you 100 per cent of them will choose the sleep option." 

The Redditor further noted that most of the migrant worker dormitories were located in Tuas in the western end of the island and that travelling to and fro would cause them to lose anywhere from two to four hours of sleep.

Other Redditors called for more context from the original poster and suggested that the workers may have arrived in the wee hours of the morning and were taking a rest before their shift began.

One questioned: “How do you know it's overnight? I sometimes see them napping on pavements during or after their lunch break. I could see them doing this when waiting for supplies or something.”

Another suggested: “They probably arrived at 6am to 6.30am and took a quick one-hour nap before the boss came.” 

In 2022, The Straits Times reported that migrant workers were photographed sleeping at various locations around Woodlands MRT Station. 

The report revealed that half of the individuals sleeping there were migrant workers resting before their late-night shift, while the rest were rough sleepers.

In the same report, MOM confirmed that the workers had to work at night, but also that proper accommodation was provided for them to rest after work. 

It further mentioned that the majority of work pass holders here that were found to be sleeping rough had proper accommodation, but “still chose to sleep in the open”.

Such sights are not uncommon or new, as seen in an article by migrant workers' welfare group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) in 2014, where a similar photo was submitted by a concerned resident, showing roughly 30 migrant workers sleeping in a pavilion near housing estates at around 7am.

Through TWC2’s investigations, it was revealed that the workers would arrive at their work site from their dormitories at roughly 6am through company-arranged transport, despite their shifts starting at 8am. 

As such, the workers would “naturally” try to get extra rest before their 12-hour work day.