Consider paid medical leave for cabbies

• j007

  11 Oct 13, 12:11

   

  Consider paid medical leave for cabbies

   

   

  AS THE son of a taxi driver, I grew up seeing my father leave home every morning in the wee hours and return late at night. It is especially frustrating to see my father work an average of 360 days a year, even on days when he feels unwell, so as to offset the daily rental that the taxi operator charges.

  There is currently no regulation making it mandatory for taxi companies to provide cabbies with an annual quota of medical leave, or the equivalent of unpaid medical leave in the form of a rental waiver.

  While the major operators do provide rental waivers in the case of hospitalisation of the cabby or a death in the immediate family, more can be done.

  The current system encourages taxi drivers who are sick to continue working in order to cover the daily rental. This poses a danger not only to the cabby but also to other road users.

  Even though taxi drivers are considered to be self-employed, they deserve the basic right to be granted medical leave when they are genuinely sick.

  I hope the National Taxi Association can play a more proactive role in working with the taxi companies to improve the welfare of cabbies.

  Chua Kok Nam

  Copyright © All rights reserved.

   

  I believe this will never happen

  1. Company will lose $$

  2. Even say with a 7 day / year medical leave, many will abuse it as medical (annual) leave. Chao Kieng to the max!

  
  

  
  

   

• getcarter

  11 Oct 13, 12:26

  wait long long,taxi co only interested in $$$ nia,they got always someone to takeover,now queue damm long leh,get sick or watever your problem

• bowah

  11 Oct 13, 13:37

  I would not advocate to medical leaves, as like it or not, taxis drivers are sole properioter themselves, a small busineman who sadly, have to write, drive, manage and market all by himself. Like a chicken rice stall holder, can town council or Hawker's association provide them medical leaves??

  I would rather said, provide more rental free days to taxi drivers, maybe from 4 days to 7 days and so on, rental free days are usually given to a hirer who have a contract with the taxi company, with it, a hirer can utililise it as his own wish, he can even get a super relief like me to take over and at the same time, take their rental free days to go holiday or seek medical attention.

  NTA should work on this free rental days for cabbies so as to achieve better life balance for cabbies and at the same time, enable them to seek medical attention and rest when necessary.

• Affirm

  11 Oct 13, 14:26

  Can have medical leave. But rent will increase more.

  If an average taxi driver takes about 30 days a year in medical leave, then everyones rent increase by another 10%.

  羊毛出在养生上.

  All about money.

• Taxilim88

  11 Oct 13, 18:04

  When come to benefits, TDs are self employed. 自己顾自己。

  When come to rules, TDs are employees. Follow or tio pok. 

   

• Ct2220

  11 Oct 13, 18:10

  

• Taxilim88

  11 Oct 13, 18:13

  Originally posted by Ct2220:

  

  smlj? Faster eat your dinner and drive lah.  Today Friday u know,

• Keepthechange666

  11 Oct 13, 21:05

  Lan sai la, give TD annual leave, he will still go "tao dang" 1 la....

  Just like our free rental days, how many TD actually really took an off that day?.....

  Chao chao also must go drive 4-5 hour to earn that extra mah.....

• Ct2220

  12 Oct 13, 08:07

  Originally posted by Taxilim88:

  smlj? Faster eat your dinner and drive lah.  Today Friday u know,

  Ah Lim 

• DriverDriver

  12 Oct 13, 18:38

  Originally posted by Taxilim88:

  When come to benefits, TDs are self employed. 自己顾自己。

  When come to rules, TDs are employees. Follow or tio pok. 

   

   

  this is the BEST liao

• bowah

  13 Oct 13, 14:33

  Just fight for more free rental days, whether a cabby takes it as medical leaves or relax day or holiday or call chicken day, it is up to them, because no matter how you look at it, you cannot lower the rental, and once you cannot do it, look for benefits.

  Taxi companies understand it, that is why they like to use benefits to lure new hirers, but rental remain fix in incremental. The key is to lock you in first.

  But at the moment, rental are high, benefits are still low,..NTA should be doing something for drivers and not just play NATO games

• Taxilim88

  14 Oct 13, 09:40

  Originally posted by Ct2220:

  Ah Lim 

  Ah Sir....

• getcarter

  14 Oct 13, 10:05

  Originally posted by bowah:

  Just fight for more free rental days, whether a cabby takes it as medical leaves or relax day or holiday or call chicken day, it is up to them, because no matter how you look at it, you cannot lower the rental, and once you cannot do it, look for benefits.

  Taxi companies understand it, that is why they like to use benefits to lure new hirers, but rental remain fix in incremental. The key is to lock you in first.

  But at the moment, rental are high, benefits are still low,..NTA should be doing something for drivers and not just play NATO games

  NTA = toothless 

• bowah

  14 Oct 13, 16:33

  NTA are not toothless

  NTA=LTA=taxi companies=Govt, we use to say, LPPL

• Keepthechange666

  14 Oct 13, 20:48

  Hello, the people working in NTA can be jiak liao bee 1.....

  But doesn't mean the association is useless hor....

  Joining NTA got it's own advantages la....

   

• bowah

  16 Oct 13, 10:09

  Sure with 14,000 members, each paid $9 per month, you go figure it out

• j007

  16 Oct 13, 11:00

  Originally posted by Taxilim88:

  When come to benefits, TDs are self employed. 自己顾自己。

  When come to rules, TDs are employees. Follow or tio pok. 

   

  This is oh so true

• j007

  16 Oct 13, 11:24

  Sometimes to companies, if it works for so long, why try to change it?!

• Keepthechange666

  16 Oct 13, 21:08

  Originally posted by bowah:

  Sure with 14,000 members, each paid $9 per month, you go figure it out

  Than why got 14,000 members, you got think about that?....

• Samsun

  17 Oct 13, 10:08

  Originally posted by bowah:

  Just fight for more free rental days, whether a cabby takes it as medical leaves or relax day or holiday or call chicken day, it is up to them, because no matter how you look at it, you cannot lower the rental, and once you cannot do it, look for benefits.

  Taxi companies understand it, that is why they like to use benefits to lure new hirers, but rental remain fix in incremental. The key is to lock you in first.

  But at the moment, rental are high, benefits are still low,..NTA should be doing something for drivers and not just play NATO games

  yes. if the TD can clock certain mileage, should be given rent-free day or rental discount.....they can choose to work harder or let their relief drive.

• Samsun

  17 Oct 13, 10:14

  Originally posted by bowah:

  Sure with 14,000 members, each paid $9 per month, you go figure it out

  
  they just want the ntuc membership lah. can get rebates mah. pretty good also.

• bowah

  17 Oct 13, 11:50

  Originally posted by Samsun:

  
  they just want the ntuc membership lah. can get rebates mah. pretty good also.

  
  So NTUC aka NTA become a social enterprise rather than a united association to help taxis drivers and workers? Is that NTUC and NTA objectives?

  Now given with all these social benefit like rebates, back to school voucher and downtown ease resort, chalet are no more...you think people will join NTUC?

  What had become a Union doing justice for TD and workers become a business enterprising that offer discount for member.

  Then NTA should rename as National Taxi social club association

• Samsun

  17 Oct 13, 12:10

  

  harmony leh. union just for dicounts, chalets, rebates lah....

• zulkifli mahmood

  17 Oct 13, 12:16

  Aiyah brothers....whatever labour unions or unions in Singapore, they are controlled by the Singapore government or they are afraid to go against the Singapore Government...face it..that is the fact about unions in Singapore.
• foolsh_2000

  17 Oct 13, 12:26

  Spore unions bmno balls.theh r tripartite!