Lopsided terms of employment for foreign workers - are they legal?

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http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_809361.html

When Chinese construction worker Ju De Gui, 44, set eyes on his work contract for a job in Singapore, his first impulse was not to sign it.

The contract was riddled with what appeared to be unfair clauses that he had not been earlier informed of such as:

1) He needed to pay a $2,000 security deposit
2) There would be heavy penalties if he ended his contract prematurely
3) If he 'did not complete his work on time', he would not be eligible for any overtime pay

But he had already paid a $4,000 fee to the agent who got him the job, and he would have lost the money if he backed out.

Representatives of most of the 15 companies with contractual terms that flout Singapore labour laws said the terms were included to 'facilitate the management of the workers'.

Mr Hoh Chin Cha, managing director of law firm Hoh Law Corporation, said many of these workers are unaware that the security deposits, penalties and fines that their employers subject them to are illegal.