SMRT PRC drivers and the 2 PRC workers on cranes linked to Zhong Jiang International

[makapaaa]

[h=2]SMRT PRC drivers and the 2 PRC workers on cranes linked to Zhong Jiang International[/h]

December 9th, 2012 |

Author: Editorial

The 2 PRC workers who staged a 9 hour protest over their wages on top of construction cranes on Thu were charged with criminal trespass on 7 Dec. They told the court that they intend to claim trial.
An MOM spokesperson said that the salary dispute between the employer, Zhong Jiang (Singapore) International Pte Ltd, and the 2 PRCs was also resolved not long after they were brought down from the cranes.
MOM also said it is investigating whether the company has breached any statutory provisions under the Employment Act.
The incident is not the first for Zhong Jiang (Singapore). In July last year, another PRC construction worker also climbed up a crane at a Changi worksite to protest because he was allegedly owed $5,000 in overtime pay, medical expenses and repatriation costs. The PRC was later jailed for 5 weeks.
Zhong Jiang (Singapore) International Pte Ltd is a local subsidiary of Chinese state-owned enterprise China Jiangsu International Group.
On its website, it listed the following businesses it engages in:

• Engineering & Contracting services
• Labour Supply & Recruitment
• Import & Export
• Overseas training
• Overseas Education
• Immigration services

With regard to its recruitment services, it said:

Overseas Labour Supply is the permanent business of Zhong Jiang (Singapore). We have been keeping a good relationship with numerous MNC in this area through years of cooperation. Based on the past records, it is believed that mutual cooperation had always been maintaining on a satisfying level.
​

It further states:

To Our Clients
We assist Singapore companies to recruit qualified & competent individuals from various parts of China. We are poised to fulfill all your recruitment needs with our extensive database of quality candidates and network in China.

Network in China
Nanjing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanchang, Hangzhou, Hefei, Xian, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Taiyuan, Qingdao, Dalian, Chongqing, Jilin, Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, Harbin.
Focus For Industries
We pride ourselves for providing Chinese talents and skilled personnel to Singapore Recruiters. Our main focus is in the below mentioned sectors. We supply a wide and diversity range of Chinese Engineers & skill personnel which include Petroleum Engineer, Lab Analyst, Nurse, CNC Programmers, CNC Machinists Operators,QC for the Electronics and Semiconductor industries, Waiter & Waitress for Hotel & Restaurant, Officer & Customer Service Executive in Sales industry, Bus driver for Transport industries, Cleaner for Commercial Building & HDB, etc.
​

It even said that, “We ensure all selected candidates are properly briefed on employment terms and conditions to avoid future disputes.”
On its website, the company has notices to recruit workers for SingPost, Changi Airport. SMRT, Star Cruises, Gateway Technologies and many others.
In the past year, it has in fact recruited at least 99 PRCs to be SMRT bus drivers. When contacted by the media, someone in the company said the person in charge of the SMRT recruitment was out of town.
SMRT declined to comment.
On 26 and 27 Nov, some 171 SMRT PRC bus drivers went on strike over low pay and poor living conditions, effectively ending Singapore’s 26 years of strike-free status.
.
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[makapaaa]

Re: SMRT PRC drivers and the 2 PRC workers on cranes linked to Zhong Jiang Internatio

[h=2]PRC bus drivers are charged hefty fees by recruitment agents[/h]

December 9th, 2012 |

Author: Editorial

Mainstream media interviewed some of the PRC bus drivers and confirmed the hefty sums of money each has to pay in order to secure a job here in Singapore.
Singapore’s public transport operators have been using labour supply agents in Singapore to source for PRC bus drivers. The Singapore labour suppliers in turn work with PRC agents to hire the drivers directly from cities in China (see: SBS and SMRT still hiring bus drivers from overseas and SBS Transit going from town to town in China to recruit drivers).
A typical agency fee of 25,000 to 30,000 RMB (S$5 – 6K) is payable by the applicants to these agents should an applicant be successful in his application.
The agents said the fee is used for visa application, service and management fees, and the air ticket to Singapore.
An agent who refused to be named, said the fee is also used for booking function rooms in luxury hotels for the recruitment drives, as requested by the Singapore firms, “It’s impossible for us to pay for these places ourselves, so we need to factor it into the agent fee.”
A bus driver, Mr Li, confirmed that he has to pay off the hefty 25,000 RMB(S$5K) agent fee that he had incurred to get his job. He said that the PRC agent charged him to get the job, process documents and buy a one-way ticket to Singapore.
For the past 1.5 years, Mr Li has not eaten anything more than a simple bowl of noodles or rice with mixed vegetables for lunch, surviving on S$6 a day. He has to live frugally because on top of the hefty agent fee he has to cover back, he also has to send money back to his family in China.
He said, “I paid so much money to get here, so I have to save every cent I can.”
It took him more than a year to break even.
Others took even longer at 2 years or more because they spent money on cigarettes and smartphones, according to Mr Li.
Bear in mind that the contracts are usually for 2 years since work permits are given up to 2 years. If the company decides not to renew their contracts, they will have to return home.
Some are counting on getting the bonus at the end of their contract (based on performance), which was promised to them, so that they can at least make some “profit” by coming to Singapore to work.
However, social workers in Singapore are not convince of the need for agents to charge the workers high fees.
Mr Jolovan Wham of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics noted that the work permit application and insurance expenses should not cost more than a few hundred dollars. He said, “There is no paper trail to show where the money goes.”
Mr Wham feels that Singapore employers should bear the costs of hiring foreign labour instead of transferring them to the workers.
At the recent SMRT strike, it was revealed that many new arrivals had wanted to leave after seeing the work and living conditions here, but “they were persuaded by the older colleagues to stay on only because they need to pay back the agent fee”.
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[laksaboy]

Re: SMRT PRC drivers and the 2 PRC workers on cranes linked to Zhong Jiang Internatio

China construction companies are in action all over the island. Where I stay, a construction company from China took charge of the en bloc and lift upgrading projects. I won't be surprised if some PAP Town Council fatcat gave the business to the Tiongs in exchange for certain benefits.

 

[Bigfuck]

Re: SMRT PRC drivers and the 2 PRC workers on cranes linked to Zhong Jiang Internatio

China construction companies are in action all over the island. Where I stay, a construction company from China took charge of the en bloc and lift upgrading projects. I won't be surprised if some PAP Town Council fatcat gave the business to the Tiongs in exchange for certain benefits.

Meimei lor. Lao gong Lao gong and more money and China more fun. What else

 

[DogVaderSodomiseErotica69]

Re: SMRT PRC drivers and the 2 PRC workers on cranes linked to Zhong Jiang Internatio


Bail likely for two construction workers charged with criminal trespass

By Kimberly Spykerman | Posted: 12 December 2012 1800 hrs

Crane in Jurong Port Rd. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

SINGAPORE: Two construction workers from China who were charged in court with criminal trespass are likely to be bailed out within the next two days.

Lawyer Ravinderpal Singh, who will represent both men pro-bono, told this to reporters on Wednesday after a pre-trial conference.

He said Wu Xiaolin, 47, will be bailed out on Thursday, while Zhu Gulei, who is 24, will be bailed out on Friday.

Bail has been set at S$10,000 each.

Their bailors are representatives from the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) - a non-governmental organisation.

The lawyer said HOME had also approached him to take on the case, and that he was appointed on Tuesday.

The two had perched atop a tower crane last Thursday over an alleged wage dispute.

Both men were charged last Friday.

They are accused of unlawfully remaining on two construction cranes at a worksite at Jurong Port Road with the intent to cause alarm to the project manager of their employer by displaying threatening behaviour.

The two men had previously gone to the Ministry of Manpower claiming that their employer owed them salaries.

They were told to come back with documents to support their claim.

Wu and Zhu had indicated in court last week that they intend to claim trial but their lawyer told reporters on Wednesday that this has yet to be confirmed and that he will need to take further instructions from his clients.

The pair will appear in court on 3 January 2013 for another pre-trial conference.

For criminal trespass, the men could be jailed three months and fined.

- CNA/jc

 

[Motaro]

Re: SMRT PRC drivers and the 2 PRC workers on cranes linked to Zhong Jiang Internatio


Four weeks' jail for workers who staged sit-in atop tower cranes
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 21 March 2013 1431 hrs

SINGAPORE: Two construction workers from China who staged a sit-in atop tower cranes over a wage dispute last December have been sentenced to four weeks' jail each.

Zhu Gulei, 24, and Wu Xiaolin, 47, pleaded guilty to criminal trespass on Thursday.

Present at the court hearing were representatives from the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME).

On 30 November 2012, Zhu and Wu told their employer that they wanted to quit and return to China, after having worked for the company for less than a year.

However, they were told that their pay would have to be deducted to settle water and electricity expenses.

The two men later told their project manager that they would complain to the authorities.

At about 6am on 6 December 2012, Zhu climbed up a tower crane, while Wu went up another crane about half an hour later.

The court heard that Wu went up on his own accord and did not see Zhu climbing up.

Zhu later called another construction worker, who then alerted the police.

He came down about eight-and-a-half hours later, following negotiations with the police and his employer, which included a demand for S$4,000.

Wu, persuaded by the police, came down after nine hours.

The prosecution said the two men caused inconvenience and delay in construction work, and wasted public resources, as the police, Singapore Civil Defence Force and Manpower Ministry had to step in.

It pressed for a strong message against the use of such stunts.

Lawyer Ravinderpal Singh, who represented Zhu and Wu pro-bono, said his clients were remorseful and "simply wanted to be listened to".

Mr Singh said: "The judge took into account all the mitigating factors and I think it was a fair sentence. They were quite contrite and sorry about what they have done, that is why they have pleaded guilty."

District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt agreed that a deterrence sentence is needed, adding that the two men should not have taken the law into their own hands.

MediaCorp understands that Wu and Zhu will each be reimbursed a month's pay of S$2,000 by their company, Zhong Jiang International.

- CNA/xq/ms