Hiring for baggage handling at Changi Airport faces hurdles despite local interest
Around 600 applicants, most of them Singaporeans or permanent residents, have applied for baggage handling jobs at Changi Airport, but recruitment is hampered by demanding work conditions and concerns over work pass misuse.
Airport jobs at Singapore's Changi Airport, including baggage handling, are attracting local applicants, yet employers report difficulty filling positions. Recruitment platform FastJobs said close to 600 job seekers applied through its portal, with roughly six in ten being Singaporeans or permanent residents. FastJobs founder and chief executive Julian Tan noted that the physically demanding duties, irregular shifts and long commutes can cause applicants to drop out before their first day.
The hiring challenges have drawn attention after the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) launched an investigation into suspected work pass violations involving about 45 companies. The probe covers roughly 270 workers hired by ground-handler SATS’ contractors and sub-contractors, some of whom may have been employed on Employment Passes (EPs) intended for professionals but placed in lower-paid roles such as baggage handling. SATS said it is reviewing its contracted firms and has made operational adjustments, including redeploying staff, to keep airport services running.
MOM explained that under Singapore’s foreign manpower framework, Work Permit holders can be hired from Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and South Korea, while workers from countries such as India, Bangladesh and Myanmar may be recruited for a limited set of occupations that does not include baggage handling. The ministry said it regularly reviews occupation lists with sector agencies and unions, taking labour shortages into account.
Migrant-worker advocacy groups Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) said the suspected EP misuse extends beyond baggage handling. HOME executive director Stephanie Chok said EP applications are being used to bypass Work Permit quotas and source-country restrictions. TWC2 highlighted cases where Indian nationals were hired as “logistics managers” with declared monthly salaries of $8,000, but were assigned to baggage handling duties for $1,500 a month. Similar discrepancies were reported for two foreign women whose EP letters listed data-entry roles with salaries over $12,000, yet they performed lower-paid tasks for about $1,400 a month.
TWC2 said a further 55 EP holders sought its advice in 2026, reporting they were working in roles such as dishwashers, cashiers and warehouse staff for roughly $1,000 a month. The groups warned that recruitment agents often charge fees up to $10,000 and pressure workers to accept the mismatched positions. Both Chok and TWC2 executive director Ethan Guo urged MOM to strengthen checks on work pass applications and to provide support for workers caught in irregular arrangements, including wage recovery and pathways to lawful employment.