Clueless Desmond thinks the drivers are also clueless, insults them

[Confuseous]

No further pay raise for China drivers: SMRT


Company says salaries are 'fair and equitable' compared to those of M'sian counterparts

04:45 AM Dec 04, 2012


SINGAPORE - Public transport operator SMRT will not be raising the pay of its China drivers further, but will look into the possibility of allowing them to encash their unused leave (This is just a self-serving move, given the fact that they are now understaffed). and to locate their quarters closer to the depots. (This should have happened from Day One).

Speaking to about 200 China drivers at a town hall meeting yesterday, SMRT President and Chief Executive Desmond Kuek said that their compensation terms, when compared to Malaysian drivers hired by the operator, "are fair and equitable". (Why the shit would anyone want to strike for something that is already fair and equitable?)

Malaysian drivers return to their homes across the Causeway after work or rent their own accommodation here, but SMRT bears the cost of providing transport, accommodation and utilities for its China drivers, which amounts to about S$275 a month for each driver, said Mr Kuek. (Question: were these China drivers offered the same deal? If not, why not, why the difference?)

Last Monday, 171 bus drivers from China staged an illegal strike in protest against what they saw as lower wages than their Malaysian counterparts and poor living conditions. The following day, 88 did not turn up for work.

Hired on a permanent basis, the Malaysian drivers' basic pay of S$1,200 rose to S$1,350 in July and again to S$1,400 in October. The drivers, who are hired on two-year contracts, saw their basic pay rise from S$1,000 to S$1,075 in July, but were told through a notice at their Woodlands dormitory that they were excluded from the S$50 increment in October.(Why again, different platforms for hiring for different nationalities?)

Yesterday, Mr Kuek said a S$25 pay increase (His personal daily lunch allowance, presumably!) - finalised the week before the illegal strike broke out, but meant to be announced this month - would be backdated to July this year.

"The full monthly increase in salary from July would therefore be S$100, a 10 per cent increase in your starting pay," he told the China drivers.

If they clock an average of 60 over-time hours each month, the gross salaries of China drivers may rise to S$1,800 or more, said Mr Kuek. (This fella must be an astute student of his master Affordable Mah with his 30-year mortage terms. Why not ask these drivers to deliver 120 hours of OT every month and feel even richer?)

He noted that many drivers want to work hard and earn as much as possible in their stint here, so that they can support their families in China.
(THIS is CRASS, CRASS, CRASS, ZERO CLASS. Unless he is referring to himself - making as much money as he can during his SMRT stint so that he can support his family with holidays every month. Really, this is uncalled for, insulting to his employees, local or foreign).

"We understand this and will look into the possibility of allowing you to encash your unused leave," said Mr Kuek. SMRT will also ask relevant agencies to investigate the drivers' complaints about misrepresentations made by the agents in China who hired them, he added.(Did SMRT deal with the agents? If so, did SMRT conduct due diligence to look after their future employees' interest?)

As for bedbugs in their dormitory rooms, it appears to be "a more persistent problem", even though fumigation of the dormitory rooms was conducted last month and again last week, said Mr Kuek. (If the problem is 'persistent' what has management been doing about it all this time? Did they need a strike before anything is done?)

He noted the drivers' feedback that the location of the dormitories is not close enough to the depots, and that "much time is wasted travelling to and from work". "We will take this into consideration when we look into alternative housing arrangements," he said.(Surely this takes the cake - isn't it 101 when planning living quarters for staff who have to leave at unearthly hours for the job?)

URL http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121204-0000026/No-further-pay-raise-for-China-drivers--SMRT

 

[Leongsam]

(Why again, different platforms for hiring for different nationalities?)

What's your take on the salaries of maids? Don't you think they should be paid as a local would for doing the same job?

 

[streetsmart73]

What's your take on the salaries of maids? Don't you think they should be paid as a local would for doing the same job?

hi there


1. sammy, the first question that smrt has to ask itself.
2. why recruit chins for drivers?
3. one sentence: cheaper!
4. and availabile!

 

[tualingong]

actually one thousands three hundred is really too low for a bus driver.

guess how much they pay their bus drivers in scandanavian countries?

and their MIWs dun even have millions dollars paychecka.

 

[Leongsam]

hi there


1. sammy, the first question that smrt has to ask itself.
2. why recruit chins for drivers?
3. one sentence: cheaper!
4. and availabile!

Is it cheaper if you include board, lodging and transport fringe benefits?

 

[Bigfuck]

Keep acting no one is listening. Keep chiding, it is really now at the next level of action against your arrogance.

 

[iluvgst]

Smrt should recruit Pinoy and indon maids and retrain them as bus drivers. They will be happy to take home $1000 every month instead of the $500-600 they get now.

 

[SeeingRED]

Smrt should recruit Pinoy and indon maids and retrain them as bus drivers. They will be happy to take home $1000 every month instead of the $500-600 they get now.

Are you sure that pinoys are satisfied with $1,000?
Experience in working with Filipinos tells me that they are no less materialistic than PRCs.

 

[winnipegjets]

SMRT violated the contract with the PRC workers by failing to provide decent accommodations. Either they do that or they pay up.

 

[Leongsam]

SMRT violated the contract with the PRC workers by failing to provide decent accommodations. Either they do that or they pay up.

The accommodation looks decent enough for me. No Shangrila but hardly any different from the tiny pigeon holes that most sinkies spend their 99 year lives in. If the Tiongs don't adopt good housekeeping practices and turn the place into a rat and bug infested pigsty, it's hardly the SMRT's fault.

If SMRT is to be blamed, it would be for not conducting regular "stand-by-beds" and handing out extra duties to errant Tiong bus drivers who didn't meet basic standards.

 

[Bigfuck]

If SMRT is to be blamed, it would be for not conducting regular "stand-by-beds" and handing out extra duties to errant Tiong bus drivers who didn't meet basic standards.

True, true.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Smrt should recruit Pinoy and indon maids and retrain them as bus drivers. They will be happy to take home $1000 every month instead of the $500-600 they get now.

I worry the Banglas will go on strike by boarding these buses and refusing to alight. Pinoy and Indon maids converted to be Bus Captains will be more than happy as long as Banglas are on board.

 

[Troll]

From TS's post: Malaysian drivers return to their homes across the Causeway after work or rent their own accommodation here, but SMRT bears the cost of providing transport, accommodation and utilities for its China drivers, which amounts to about S$275 a month for each driver, said Mr Kuek. (Question: were these China drivers offered the same deal? If not, why not, why the difference?)...

I think the TS misread and thought that it's the Malaysians who were given transport, accommodation and utilities which amounted to S$275 a month. Actually we all know the reason why PRC drivers took home less was because these PRC drivers were given "accommodation and utilities which amounted to S$275 a month".

 

[Spock]

From TS's post: Malaysian drivers return to their homes across the Causeway after work or rent their own accommodation here, but SMRT bears the cost of providing transport, accommodation and utilities for its China drivers, which amounts to about S$275 a month for each driver, said Mr Kuek. (Question: were these China drivers offered the same deal? If not, why not, why the difference?)...

I think the TS misread and thought that it's the Malaysians who were given transport, accommodation and utilities which amounted to S$275 a month. Actually we all know the reason why PRC drivers took home less was because these PRC drivers were given "accommodation and utilities which amounted to S$275 a month".

No, what he meant is that were the PRC drivers offered the option of having higher pay but having to find their own accommodation and mode of transport? The SG model of bringing foreign workers is to provide accommodation and transport for them. You don't see this in developed countries. The reason for this is so that SMRT, like the construction companies, can cut corners in providing these amenities, control the workers' movements, bring in huge numbers of workers and subsequently reducing their wages by claiming the costs of providing these amenities. Don't you see the similarities with slavery? Slaves were provided with food, shelter and transport and their movement is tightly monitored. The only difference is that slaves don't get wages.

If the foreign workers were to find their own accommodation and provide their own transport, it would not be possible to bring in so many workers because they won't be able to find enough of these provided at low enough prices. They will essentially face the same costs of living as SGreans. Is it fair then for SGreans to compete with these foreign workers who have lower costs of living in SG? Well, since most SGreans did not voice out when they did the same thing with construction workers, I guess they are quite happy with the situation as long as they are not affected. Maybe in future, the government will build dormitories to house armies of foreign PMETs to compete with SGreans.

 

[SgParent]

What's your take on the salaries of maids? Don't you think they should be paid as a local would for doing the same job?

In Singapore context, the employers would put up ads offering the same maid salaries now, after a while announce these are jobs that true pink Singaporeans dun want and then go on to continue bringing in truckloads from The Philippines, Indonesia, etc, etc.