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Human Rights Watch, a US-based human rights organisation, has called on the Singapore Government to drop charges against the four SMRT bus drivers charged with instigating last week’s strike.
In a statement released on Thursday, Human Rights Watch said the criminal case against the bus drivers “implicates the rights to freedom of association and assembly, as well as the right to strike”.
The organisation argues that the International Labour Organisation (ILO), of which Singapore is a member, states that the right to strike is a fundamental right to be enjoyed by workers as long as it is conducted in a peaceful manner.
Human Rights Watch also challenged the notion that restrictions were warranted as transport was considered an essential service.
Citing the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, it said that restrictions can only be justified in sectors where disruption of service could endanger life, safety, or health of all or part of the population, or in situations of acute national crisis.
“None of the conditions for a sector to be ‘essential’ can reasonably apply to the situation of the Chinese bus drivers in Singapore,” it said.
It also called on Singapore to ratify a ILO convention that states a member state must promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation.
The Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention is listed on the ILO website as one of its eight fundamental conventions. Fifteen other countries who have not ratified the convention including the US, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.
Singapore has ratified six of the eight fundamental conventions.
The group goes on to criticise Singapore laws that restricts foreigners from unionising on their own.
Under the Trade Unions Act, non-citizens cannot be a union national or branch officer, employee or trustee, unless they have the written approval of the Manpower Minister.
“The law effectively prevents migrant workers from representing themselves, and instead requires them to join a Singaporean-led trade union if they want to have union representation,” said Human Rights Watch.
Their statement comes one day after a protest by Hong Kong unionists who called for the release of the bus drivers and equal pay for foreign workers.
On Wednesday, labour MPs had called on protesters in Hong Kong to respect Singapore’s laws.
In a statement released on Thursday, Human Rights Watch said the criminal case against the bus drivers “implicates the rights to freedom of association and assembly, as well as the right to strike”.
The organisation argues that the International Labour Organisation (ILO), of which Singapore is a member, states that the right to strike is a fundamental right to be enjoyed by workers as long as it is conducted in a peaceful manner.
Human Rights Watch also challenged the notion that restrictions were warranted as transport was considered an essential service.
Citing the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, it said that restrictions can only be justified in sectors where disruption of service could endanger life, safety, or health of all or part of the population, or in situations of acute national crisis.
“None of the conditions for a sector to be ‘essential’ can reasonably apply to the situation of the Chinese bus drivers in Singapore,” it said.
It also called on Singapore to ratify a ILO convention that states a member state must promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation.
The Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention is listed on the ILO website as one of its eight fundamental conventions. Fifteen other countries who have not ratified the convention including the US, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.
Singapore has ratified six of the eight fundamental conventions.
The group goes on to criticise Singapore laws that restricts foreigners from unionising on their own.
Under the Trade Unions Act, non-citizens cannot be a union national or branch officer, employee or trustee, unless they have the written approval of the Manpower Minister.
“The law effectively prevents migrant workers from representing themselves, and instead requires them to join a Singaporean-led trade union if they want to have union representation,” said Human Rights Watch.
Their statement comes one day after a protest by Hong Kong unionists who called for the release of the bus drivers and equal pay for foreign workers.
On Wednesday, labour MPs had called on protesters in Hong Kong to respect Singapore’s laws.
