SBS Transit increases starting pay for new bus captains
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Bus operator SBS Transit has increased the monthly starting pay for bus captains to $1,950, an increase of more than 9 per cent from the current $1,775.
The revised salary package for new Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains will benefit almost 10,000 SBS Transit staff, including 6,500 bus captains.
Including overtime, salary adjustments and a reliability incentive of up to $300 monthly under the Bus Service Reliability Framework, new bus captains will be able to earn up to $3,460 monthly.
They will also receive a sign-on bonus of $3,000.
Said National Transport Workers' Union executive secretary Melvin Yong: "As our biggest local public bus operator, SBS Transit sets a good example in the fast growing industry."
SBS Transit chief executive officer Gan Juay Kiat, said that with the new package, "we hope to attract more Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents to join us as bus captains and strengthen our Singaporean core".
Last month Tower Transit, the third bus operator here, announced a pay raise of 3.5 per cent for its staff, bringing the starting pay of its bus captains to $1,930 monthly.
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hmm, it's good news.
now just wait for SMRT.
TT up (Tower Transit Buses)
CD up (ComfortDelGro)
eh where's Go Ahead Buses??
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Yes. Bus fare raising soon.
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Originally posted by lemon1974:
Yes. Bus fare raising soon.
Perhaps twice or triple the existing bus fares.
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They forgotten to increase Malaysian and PRC BCs ahahaha...Anyway its only less than 30% local bus captains.
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I wonder if this is to instigate Tower Transit and Go Ahead to increase their salaries to match or surpass SBS Transit salary, as from the looks of it, these two bus companies want to offer the best employment package for bus drivers.
Whereas for SMRT, I guess they will do something similar soon. They are probably waiting to see if Go Ahead or Tower Transit will respond by increasing their salaries, before they increase their own salary to at least match the lowest one. #justsaying
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Originally posted by carbikebus:
They forgotten to increase Malaysian and PRC BCs ahahaha...Anyway its only less than 30% local bus captains.
also got increase lah, but their starting pay lower mah, so dun report better, or else, ppl will complain.... only report the highest possible starting pay..
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i would want to join in.
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Originally posted by gekpohboy:
Tower Transit will take over seventeen bus routes from SBS Transit this month, and now SBS Transit announce this increase in salary.
I feel that this to the disadvantage of Tower Transit and Go Ahead, as their drivers may change company (or not join them) as a result. I wonder if this is to instigate them to increase their salaries to surpass SBS Transit salary.
As for SMRT, they better increase their salary. Otherwise, it may be game over for them.
Dont forget those BCs that didnt want to join SBST leh..Not all BCs interested in joining SBST.
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Originally posted by carbikebus:
Dont forget those BCs that didnt want to join SBST leh..Not all BCs interested in joining SBST.
Come on. This is common sense. We all work for money. Who does not want higher pay?
Well, my concern is that with SBS Transit announcing this increase in pay and better employment benefits, those drivers who are joining the new operators may change their mind.
This is worrying for Tower Transit, as they are taking over seventeen bus routes from SBS Transit this month. Most of their bus drivers are probably working for SBS Transit now and will join Tower Transit when the bus routes are taken over by them.
If the drivers at SBS Transit who will join Tower Transit now change their mind and decide not to join Tower Transit, there may be not enough bus drivers to drive the bus routes when Tower Transit takes over.
Therefore, I feel that now is not a good time for SBS Transit to announce the increase in salary.
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Originally posted by gekpohboy:
Come on. This is common sense. We all work for money. Who would not want to work at a company that pays higher salary?
of course, vacancies are limited. It's not that if want then confirm will have. but my concern is about the SBS Transit drivers affected by GCM who are going to the new operators. Now that SBS increase their salary, I do not think they still want to go work for the new operators.... especially when the government already say that SBS and SMRT must help their affected staff get job if they stay on.
I'm worried for Tower Transit and Go Ahead, especially Tower Transit as they are taking over some SBS Transit routes on next Sunday. If those SBS Transit drivers who are going to Tower Transit now decide to stay on at SBS Transit, would Tower Transit still have enough drivers to deliver their new bus services next sunday?
Really, the timing is bad. They should have announced it at a later date. :(
The timing of this announcement is fully expected. Refer to this earlier fictional scenario for analysis.
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I notice they only say "new drivers". the current drivers leh? I don't think SBS Transit got say they will increase their pay.
I guess what they mean by new drivers is those who are just join now, and those who will be in their GCM from September... So eventually it will cover all drivers.
So, most likely Tower Transit is not affected by this, for the time being.
The other thing is, when will this new salary package take effect?
If it will only take effect in September, we may see bus drivers go from SBS to Tower now and then return to SBS in September, like a pendulum.
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Originally posted by gekpohboy:
Come on. This is common sense. We all work for money. Who would not want to work at a company that pays higher salary?
of course, vacancies are limited. It's not that if want then confirm will have.
my concern is about the SBS Transit drivers affected by GCM who are going to the new operators. Now that SBS increase their salary, I do not think they still want to go work for the new operators.... especially when the government already say that SBS and SMRT must help their affected staff get job if they stay on.
I'm worried for Tower Transit and Go Ahead, especially Tower Transit as they are taking over some SBS Transit routes on next Sunday. If those SBS Transit drivers who are going to Tower Transit now decide to stay on at SBS Transit, would Tower Transit still have enough drivers to deliver their new bus services next sunday?
Really, the timing is bad. They should have announced it at a later date. :(
Is SBS Transit really short of workers? Why are they ramping up on their hiring of bus drivers? :( If it's just to increase competition, then they should not have done it now. A better time would be around September after Go-Ahead also begin operating all their bus routes.
You must remember those ex SBST BCs which got bad experience with them,Surely they dont want to join back right?Anyway SBST didnt offer $2500 basic pay mah..They rather join TT or GA.Another thing to take note,Higher basic pay doesnt mean they dont cut the OT hours leh,If they get enough pool of BCs to play around definately the OT will be reduce.
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Originally posted by gekpohboy:
I notice they only say "new drivers". the current drivers leh? I don't think SBS Transit got say they will increase their pay.
I guess what they mean by new drivers is those who are just join now, and those who will be in their GCM from September... So eventually it will cover all drivers.
So, most likely Tower Transit is not affected by this, for the time being.
The other thing is, when will this new salary package take effect?
If it will only take effect in September, we may see bus drivers go from SBS to Tower now and then return to SBS in September, like a pendulum.
read properly lah.... the new salary packet apply to all its 6500 BCs..and other staffs as well. tot u say u read their press release/annual report one???
The revised salary package, which is the result of close consultations and negotiations with the National Transport Workers Union (NTWU), is covered under the SBS Transit - NTWU Collective Agreement. It benefits close to 10,000 SBS Transit employees, of which 6,500 are bus captains..
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The economy is not looking good. Around next year, there may be a financial crisis. I do not think the bus companies are able to keep paying the higher salaries beyond next year. By then, they may reduce the salaries.
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Friend,I knew that you're not that dimwit either but how can SBST a big Organisation reduce back the basic salary when they publicly announced their basic pay raised to the public?You think this is running a stationary or hawker shop ah?What economic impact does public transportation had?
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Unfortunately, running bus services is a loss-making business and running train services makes little profit. SBS Transit's and SMRT's profits are largely from their advertising and rental businesses.
When the market is bad, companies would cut costs to survive, and one way is to reduce expenditure on advertising and scale down businesses. When that happens, bus companies would collect less revenue from their advertising and rental businesses.
If less revenue is collected from advertising and rental, bus companies would make less profit, or even incur loss. To make more profit, or change loss to proft, an obvious way is to lower the salary (reduce costs).
As such, I feel that the bus companies are not able to keep paying the higher salaries while the economy turns bad.
Although bus companies' core business of running bus services' demand is not affected by business cycle and stuff, their other businesses are affected, and it is the other businesses that help the bus companies generate profit. So, the economy performance does affect the bus companies.
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Originally posted by gekpohboy:
If I am not wrong, a large part of SBS Transit and SMRT profit is from advertising and rental. When the market is bad, there is less advertising and less rental. Unfortunately, I do not study business, so I do not know how to describe. Sorry.
do you study economics then?
and what makes you think that such a reversal in salaries will actually happen?
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Yes, salaries can drop in the long run. But that's a very long way to go.
Again, look to what happened at Transperth buses for an answer. This was when Path Transit (now part of Kelios Downer) lost to TT Perth and Transdev Perth:
But the more likely outcome is the operator goes bankrupt outright:
http://macaunews.com.mo/reolian-bus-company-goes-bankrupt-government-rejects-subsidy-hike/
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Rest assured i dont heard any SBST or SMRT BC gone through basic pay cut..At worse the company just slash your allowance or your OT..There is already MVC in case.
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Originally posted by TIB868X:
do you study economics then?
and what makes you think that such a reversal in salaries will actually happen?
I dont think he is austic or dumb either but just some lonely smart chap seeking attention thats all,See the way he post and questions?
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GAG really needs to increase their BC's salary by S$100, or there will be a shortage of bus captains in GAG.
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Originally posted by SBS3004X:
GAG really needs to increase their BC's salary by S$100, or there will be a shortage of bus captains in GAG.
later SMRT increase to S$2000 starting pay how?
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Originally posted by carbikebus:
Rest assured i dont heard any SBST or SMRT BC gone through basic pay cut..At worse the company just slash your allowance or your OT..There is already MVC in case.
ya.. they will either freeze salary increase, or cut the variable component(profit sharing etc)...
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long time ago sbs drivers was this kind of salaries. it only they employ forginers and old bus drivers retired then they reduce the salaries. So now under pressure from TT AG and maybe other up coming operators from oversea, they LL increase salaries.