The Free and Contract Labourers

As discussed in class, the free labourer is able to pay for his own passage to Singapore. As such, he is free from all obligations to any coolie-agent or employer. He is thus free to seek employment from anyone who is willing to employment him. That allows him the freedom of choice and since he is not bound to any contract, he is not controlled by the coolie-agent. As such, he is not susceptible to the abuses of these coolie-agents.

In contrast, the contract labourer will have to sign a contract promising to work for anyone who is willing to pay for his passage. That means he has no freedom of choice for jobs and he is obligated to work for anyone even if the employer is from other countries. In addition, the coolie-agent is responsible for the coolies from the time they leave China to the time they reach Singapore. Very commonly, the coolies are subjected to the abuses of these agents. For example, poor conditions onboard the ships and deplorable living conditions in warehouses when they arrive.