SMRT drivers' strike
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Originally posted by FireIce:
just for the record, me took 2 smrt buses today.
ok
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Originally posted by SMB66X:
Just wondering..would those 60-102 drivers used we passengers as a hostage to demand for $$? :/
at erthat say 'i don;t know sg law cannot hijack vihcile and take hostages' LEH!these foreign smrt drivers strike after that failde just say' aku dah/ makan taohu' (been curd). then next time everyone can also do that easy mah.
its the greedy sly cheena's backup plan when all else fail - exit stretagy
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Date of Issue: 28 November 2012
Update on SMRT Service Leaders
The rate of attendance of Service Leaders (SLs) on 28 November is back to normal and all our bus services are running as scheduled.
Meanwhile, SMRT personnel, including 20 of our Chinese SLs, are currently assisting the police in their investigation into possible breaches of the law as a result of the strike.
Addressing the concerns of Service Leaders
We would like to address the concerns raised by the SLs from China.
Remuneration
Unlike SLs from Malaysia, who are employed on a permanent basis, SLs from China are hired on 2-year contracts that carry different terms of employment. While the starting pay for SLs from China is lower, the company provides for their accommodations and utilities as well as daily transport to their workplace.
As part of SMRT’s ongoing salary review, in July 2012, all SLs under permanent employment received an increment in their starting pay. A special increment was also given to the SLs from China even though such an increase is not in their contract. Another round of salary adjustments for SLs under permanent employment was made in October 2012. Similarly, an additional adjustment of $25 per month for SLs from China was finalised last week and we were in the process of communicating this.
SMRT pays competitive market wages. Labour markets and wages vary in different countries. Taking into account the foreign worker levy and the provision of transport, accommodations and utilities, our remuneration packages for SLs from China and Malaysia are equitable. The table in Annex A shows a comparison of the remuneration packages.
Dormitory conditions
The SLs had earlier raised, with SMRT, concerns on the living conditions, such as bed bugs at the dormitories provided by private operators. Fumigation works were scheduled at the Woodlands dormitory but have not been carried out yet. We acknowledge that swifter actions could have been taken to improve the conditions of the dormitories. We will implement fumigation as soon as possible, and other improvement measures such as remedial works on fittings are already underway. We have also decided to provide alternative accommodations when the leases at the dormitories expire from early 2013.
Management had assured the SLs during the discussion on 26 Nov that it will review and address their concerns. We will share our decision with the SLs next week.
On the latest developments, Executive Vice President (Roads & Commercial) Ms Teo Chew Hoon said: "There are lessons from this episode, including how we can better engage our SLs, and we will improve in this area. In the meantime, we are doing our utmost to make immediate improvements to their living conditions.
For majority of our Chinese SLs who are putting their best in their duties, I would like to reassure them that we continue to value their services.”
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http://www.smrt.com.sg/Portals/0/PDFs/About%20SMRT/Newsroom/2012/28Nov%20Update%20on%20SLs.pdf
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Strike by China bus drivers tests Singapore's patience
SINGAPORE |
(Reuters) - This week's walkout in Singapore by dozens of mainland Chinese bus drivers over disparities in pay would have been considered small, calm and short-lived in almost any other nation.
But the strike, in breach of the law and mostly over by Wednesday, was the first significant industrial action in the tightly regulated Asian financial centre in more than 25 years.
For the first two days of this week, buses ran late and crowded in a city that prides itself on efficiency, leading to complaints from customers.
"This is Singapore NOT China. If you cannot follow the law of the land please go back to your own country and strike," Today newspaper reader Leonard Low wrote on the paper's website.
After a tough election last year, the strike highlights challenges for the long-ruling government of the majority ethnic Chinese island as it tries to defuse anger over an influx of immigrants while discouraging labour unrest that could hurt investment.
The action by the drivers from China, over complaints they are paid less than Singaporean and Malaysian peers, also underlines the treatment of lower-skilled foreign workers who are vital to the construction, hospitality and transport sectors in the wealthy city-state.
"There's a danger in becoming too emotional about it," said Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Chua Hak Bin. "Not many Singaporeans want to work as bus drivers at this kind of wage levels. You need foreign workers to fill the gap."
Chua said companies would have to get used to higher wage demands by lower-skilled foreign workers, given the much larger salary increases in countries such as China.
In the case of SMRT Corp Ltd (SMRT.SI), one of two bus companies that ply Singapore's roads, Chinese nationals account for about 450 of the 2,000 or so drivers on its payroll.
Kit Wei Zheng, an economist at Citigroup, said more labour disputes could emerge given developments in the region.
"Globally and regionally, there is greater labour activism taking place," he said. "In China, you have seen more assertive industrial action so, in hindsight, it was not surprising that some of these pressures reached Singapore's shores."
As a global financial centre with the world's highest concentration of millionaires, Singapore is awash with flashy cars, pricey shops and fancy restaurants that epitomise the wealth of foreign and domestic businesspeople and bankers.
But much of the vitriol against immigrants - about stealing jobs, pushing up housing costs and crowding public transport - is directed at the most visible, those who do the tough and dirty work and are among the lowest paid.
"These (Chinese) drivers don't deserve the same salary and benefits," Singapore resident Bao Heng wrote on Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan Jin's Facebook page. "Many Singaporeans would agree with me that Malaysians drivers are safer drivers."
While comments in newspapers and Internet postings suggest many Singaporeans favour a hard line against the striking bus drivers, support for them was high in their native China.
"Come back brothers, plenty of opportunities back home," one person wrote on the Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo.
"Should go on strike. This is a form of discrimination. Should be equal pay for equal work," said another posting.
ZERO TOLERANCE
Singapore, which saw its last major industrial action in 1986 at a U.S. oilfield equipment firm, has no minimum wage and prohibits workers in public transport and other essential services from going on strike without giving notice of 14 days.
In taking action that Tan, the acting manpower minister, said "clearly crossed the line", 171 Chinese drivers did not show up for work on Monday and 88 did not report on Tuesday.
Most of them returned to duty on Wednesday after officials from the Chinese embassy spoke with them late on Tuesday.
Tan said his ministry expected SMRT, controlled by powerful state investor Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd , to address the grievances but that the government had "zero tolerance for such unlawful action".
The National Trades Union Congress, which does not represent the Chinese drivers, said "any action that is illegal must and will be dealt with firmly, regardless of whether the workers are local or foreign".
The drivers complain SMRT switched them to a six-day week with slightly higher pay from a five-day week that had allowed them to earn more by doing overtime.
One driver told the Lianhe Wanbao newspaper he now was paid S$1,400 a month, lower than the S$2,000 he used to be able to make with overtime on days off. The Chinese are also angry about getting less than Singaporean and Malaysian drivers.
Bus drivers, whether Chinese or Singaporean, are not highly paid in a country where the 2011 median monthly salary was about S$3,250 for citizens and permanent residents. Foreign maids and nannies - most of them from Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar - do even worse, getting as little as S$500 a month.
SMRT, which calls its drivers "service leaders" (SLs), said it lodged a police report over possible breaches of the law and urged the Chinese workers to use proper channels for complaints.
"We have stressed to the SLs that the lines of communication to management remain open and they should not take such unlawful actions to air their grievances," it said in a statement.
One of the striking workers, from China's Henan province, told media the drivers had gone to supervisors and their company human resources department but were told nothing could be done as the salary decisions were made by senior managers.
"If we didn't speak up for ourselves, we could be further disadvantaged in the future," the unidentified driver said. (Editing by Robert Birsel)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/28/uk-singapore-strike-idUSLNE8AR01J20121128
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go back lah. besides the feew that can cum here work as drivers where they wanna work? malaysia? indonesia? philipines? thailand? vietnam?
only singapore can allow them only. very good already. very good already to earn x6 salary after conversion back home. if not no need topipe up one, buy ticket fly home. many people waiting to fill their gaps. wanna be on par? then what's the differnec ebetween a pink IC and your employment passes?
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Originally posted by troublemaker2005:
go back lah. besides the feew that can cum here work as drivers where they wanna work? malaysia? indonesia? philipines? thailand? vietnam?
only singapore can allow them only. very good already. very good already to earn x6 salary after conversion back home. if not no need topipe up one, buy ticket fly home. many people waiting to fill their gaps. wanna be on par? then what's the differnec ebetween a pink IC and your employment passes?
Its not x6. its x5
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Originally posted by I.imba:
Its not x6. its x5
i dont know leh - i tot its x6? i dah makan tahu leh : ( -
What a nice term to use they take sick leave. Please lah, just be accurate and report facts, they go on strike la
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Why cant the SMRT management just announce the reaon for the difference in pay rise to the public, so that they can properly judge this event instead of just thinking that SMRT is being unfair.
It can be some reasons like the malaysian drivers were not given a place to stay by the company and the chinese does, therefore its fair to give the malaysian drivers a fair bit of more salary.
At least some in depth explanation will let the public know who is right and who is wrong, instead of going around bashing everyone involved.
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
What a nice term to use they take sick leave. Please lah, just be accurate and report facts, they go on strike la
The straits time don't want make things sound so bad mah. 大事化�, no one want to stir up even more shit. Then only when the government say its a illegal strike, they start to use the word strike also
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Today's ST notes that SBST houses its PRC drivers in HDB. So...not much complaints on that front there.
Gee.
The more I look at it, the more muddled, befuddled SMRT appears to be.
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Originally posted by I.imba:
The straits time don't want make things sound so bad mah. 大事化�, no one want to stir up even more shit. Then only when the government say its a illegal strike, they start to use the word strike also
The word "strike" is subjective to the govt in Singapore. When SIA pilots went on strike the govt step in to interfere, what happen now when their favourite nation PRCs are doing it, no govt interfere?????
Straits Times under control by govt la.
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
The word "strike" is subjective to the govt in Singapore. When SIA pilots went on strike the govt step in to interfere, what happen now when their favourite nation PRCs are doing it, no govt interfere?????
Straits Times under control by govt la.
If you are our govt, you want to create another war-front this time with PRC govt ah?
Luckily you are not the govt. Phew.
I'm no big fan of PRC, but the last thing we want is even more hoo-ha with Mr Xi exerting his new powers on us.
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they refuse to go to work. so is 'intercourse' a better term to use?
Definition of 'going on strike' - the gahemn is right on this one. 2 thumbs up plus my manhood.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strike_10
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Originally posted by SBS2601D:
If you are our govt, you want to create another war-front this time with PRC govt ah?
Luckily you are not the govt. Phew.
I'm no big fan of PRC, but the last thing we want is even more hoo-ha with Mr Xi exerting his new powers on us.
PLP. hahahahhaha.
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Originally posted by SBS2601D:
If you are our govt, you want to create another war-front this time with PRC govt ah?
Luckily you are not the govt. Phew.
I'm no big fan of PRC, but the last thing we want is even more hoo-ha with Mr Xi exerting his new powers on us.
dont worry. that one is gahmen's problem to worry. -
Originally posted by troublemaker2005:
dont worry. that one is gahmen's problem to worry.PLP la.
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If raise the pay of drivers, will SGreans be willing to pay?
If say they are willing to pay, then it will only be fair that shareholders cut dividend. We cant really go to the extreme end of removing dividends entirely, otherwise we risk blurring the line between public and pte co.
But where then the co. going to get $$$ to purchase buses and expand?
*points to govt*
As you can see, all routes lead eventually to govt intervention. Not market laissez faire. Especially in such a situation where both co.s are monopolising.
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Originally posted by SBS2601D:
Today's ST notes that SBST houses its PRC drivers in HDB. So...not much complaints on that front there.
Gee.
The more I look at it, the more muddled, befuddled SMRT appears to be.
jiak lah if in HDB, more nusiances. i already on 24hr standby. -
Originally posted by SBS2601D:
If you are our govt, you want to create another war-front this time with PRC govt ah?
Luckily you are not the govt. Phew.
I'm no big fan of PRC, but the last thing we want is even more hoo-ha with Mr Xi exerting his new powers on us.
Thats why this time government also don't dare just sack and fly them back to China. They also thinking hard how to punish those guys without making China government angry and yet still deliever the point that such strikes is not acceptable to the rest of the work force.
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
PLP la.
i going for some vaginals actually. call it what you want, but i donlt know thius action is PLP. really i dont know aku dah makan taohu lah -
Originally posted by SBS2601D:
If raise the pay of drivers, will SGreans be willing to pay?
If say they are willing to pay, then it will only be fair that shareholders cut dividend. We cant really go to the extreme end of removing dividends entirely, otherwise we risk blurring the line between public and pte co.
But where then the co. going to get $$$ to purchase buses and expand?
*points to govt*
As you can see, all routes lead eventually to govt intervention. Not market laissez faire. Especially in such a situation where both co.s are monopolising.
can be done 1. its only they need as much cash now as possible for their tnneling and messive expansion construction all over the island. thats why.
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Originally posted by I.imba:
Thats why this time government also don't dare just sack and fly them back to China. They also thinking hard how to punish those guys without making China government angry and yet still deliever the point that such strikes is not acceptable to the rest of the work force.
It is a sticky, sensitive issue. Unless they can get people immediately to replace them if not there is no urgency to sack them now.
Anything to do with PRCs it has got the political side of it the govt have to look into.
Hope after this case they will appreciate the Singaporeans who dare not go on strike.
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Originally posted by I.imba:
Thats why this time government also don't dare just sack and fly them back to China. They also thinking hard how to punish those guys without making China government angry and yet still deliever the point that such strikes is not acceptable to the rest of the work force.
I dare say if its fellow ASEAN peeps do crap, we probably will smack them in place.
Look at how we hanged foreigners over drugs, though arguably, that one is different case (we are used to hanging people despite howls of protests!).
Maybe because its first strike in decades, that's why cheng hu suddenly caught off guard.
And also because now China power transition, very unpredictable. We already had a taste of how the Chinese are ruthless when they want it their way, when they poured cold water on us at Suzhou.
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
It is a sticky, sensitive issue. Unless they can get people immediately to replace them if not there is no urgency to sack them now.
Anything to do with PRCs it has got the political side of it the govt have to look into.
Hope after this case they will appreciate the Singaporeans who dare not go on strike.
PLP, PLP on gamen and sgreans