Strike by PRC bus drivers illegal - will govt take punitive action?

[aurvandil]

Any person who has any experience managing foreign workers will know that paying different groups of foreign workers different salaries is a sure recipe for disaster. They can accept getting less pay/benefits than a Singaporean. They however get flaming mad when they find out they are getting less pay/benefits than another foreigner from another country.

 

[loneshark]

Watch this, especially from 1:25 onwards.
If the translation is correct, they are comparing with the Singaporean drivers.

[video=youtube;PENJW4H2Saw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PENJW4H2Saw&feature=player_embedded[/video]

 

[cheekenpie]

Dear Mr Shanmugam,


Please accept my sincere apologies for the length of this email, but I sincerely hope that you will read this entire email as this concern a very important issue that I hope you will be able to give me and the citizens of Singapore an answer.



Sir, as you know by now, according to SMRT, on the 27th November, 102 Chinese National working for SMRT went on strike today or as our state media call it "Refusal to turn up for work". I cannot help but laugh at the way our state media attempt to describe the event in whatever way possible other than calling it a strike.



Sir, Chapter 67 of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act clearly states the following:



"No Workman employed in any essential service shall go on strike -



(a) Unless at least 14 days before striking he has given to his employer notice of intention to strike as provided by this section;

(b) before the date of striking specified in the notice of intention to strike; or

(c) during the pendency of any proceedings"



Sir, Chapter 67 of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act also clearly states the penalty for any person who commit an offence under this act as follow:



"Any workman who commences, continues or otherwise act in furtherance of a strike which is illegal under this Part shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both."



The act also provides penalty for any person who instigate a strike as follow:




"Any person who —

(a)

instigates or incites others to take part in, or otherwise acts in furtherance of, a strike or lock-out which is illegal under this Part; or

(b)

instigates or incites others to withhold their labour or services knowing or having reason to believe that the probable consequences of that action will be to endanger human life or the efficient operation of any public health service or cause serious bodily injury or expose valuable property whether real or personal to destruction or serious damage,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both."



Sir, having covered the laws that your government have put in place in our Statutes to prevent a strike from happening in Singapore so as to not hurt our reputation and our economy, I am extremely sad to learn that no actions so far has been taken against these 102 workman who, in my opinion and many, have committed a crime under this act and are still able to walk away scoot free without facing any penalties.



What upsets me even further is when I see that SMRT even sent in negotiators to negotiate with the workman who have went on strike and disrespected our law.



Sir, the action of these 102 Chinese National today have resulted in several problems for our transport system that is run by SMRT.



Sir, I strongly urge you to take action against these 102 workman whom have blatantly dis-respected our laws that we have in place to protect our countries. Your action against this 102 workman will also show us that everyone is equal under the law and that our law will punish whoever violates it irregardless of their nationalities.



Sir, I would like to end my email here in hope to see your response with regards to this matter soon.



With Regards,

Pat

 

[Lizzert]

looking forward to more FT strikes..
PRC/Bangla Cleaners..
PRC Whores..
Pinoy Salesstaff and waiters.
AhNeh YAI TEE professionals

 

[ray_of_hope]

In conclusion, I would like to say that it would be interesting to see the events that would unfold. They are:

1. How would the govt now take action against these strikers, who have transgressed the law. If none is taken, or if inadequate action is taken, that would signal that future strikes can be staged to the detriment of Singapore's economy with impunity or little punitive action.

2. The govt and many companies will have to take a hard relook at its strategy in employing cheap foreign labour.

Good luck to the PAPpies on this one. It is a pain of their own making.

- http://wherebearsroamfree.blogspot.sg/2012/11/strike-by-prc-bus-drivers-illegal-will.html

The govt does not adopt a one-side-fits-all approach. It is different strokes for different folks. I am sure sinkies know that. They would not be so fatuous to even think of striking.

On the other hand, foreigners who strike will likely be treated with kid gloves.

 

[myfoot123]

Any person who has any experience managing foreign workers will know that paying different groups of foreign workers different salaries is a sure recipe for disaster..

I understand them better than this - once they are paid equally with other foreign talents, their next steps is to compare theirs with Singaporeans salaries. China are cunning people with greed unless SMRT didn't tell them exactly what they would expect to see in Singapore before asking them to sign the contract to come here.

 

[myfoot123]

foreigners who strike will likely be treated with kid gloves.

Oh, that depends on which country this foreigners came from. PAP will usually hold PRC with high regard than indian because China embassy in Singapore has bigger balls than india embassy. If you understand PAP well, they are afraid of bigger dicks and balls like the Ang Mo and PRC.

 

[jubilee1919]

Time for the gahman to build another prison to house all these strikers!

 

[ray_of_hope]

Oh, that depends on which country this foreigners came from. PAP will usually hold PRC with high regard than indian because China embassy in Singapore has bigger balls than india embassy. If you understand PAP well, they are afraid of bigger dicks and balls like the Ang Mo and PRC.

To some extent this is right. However, the days of Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion are over. Pinoys are more than just maids in SG; they are all over the economy, and they are also quite organised. The same applies to the Indians.

When the govt changed the drug laws to make serious offences no longer mandatory, I believe this was done largely because of the growing expat community and nothing more.

What we see reported may be very different from what we see happening behind the scenes.

 

[lhlisanidiot]

It will be one problems after another because SMRT and Temasek linked companies are cheapskate companies.
I love to see more such happenings taking place until PAP wake up and realised they dug their grave too deep. This is the reason why Singaporeans have been crying foul which PAP pay no heed to. I have every reason to be happy if it spread across island wide and shove right into Lee Hisen Loon's ass.

Bro, same thinking here, how i wish this is the spark to pinky's downfall.

I hope it spread to SBS buses and the trains too, see how is pinky going to handle it.

The ah tiongs started it, if they get what they want, pinoys and ah neh will follow suit.

Congratulations to pinky for digging his own grave

 

[zhihau]

When the govt changed the drug laws to make serious offences no longer mandatory, I believe this was done largely because of the growing expat community and nothing more

in that case, can we have more folks from Holland? long live Mary Jane!!! :p:p:p

 

[jubilee1919]

Bro, same thinking here, how i wish this is the spark to pinky's downfall.

I hope it spread to SBS buses and the trains too, see how is pinky going to handle it.

The ah tiongs started it, if they get what they want, pinoys and ah neh will follow suit.

Congratulations to pinky for digging his own grave

This is what I call karma.

 

[PROFILER]

This is what I call karma.

Also know as having a taste of his own medicine.

 

[lhlisanidiot]

This is what I call karma.

It's really good that old fart is still around to see everything unfolding

 

[jubilee1919]

Some hard truths - Employ your own citizens rather than foreigners as they are traitors and have no loyalty nor care about the harm they do to their host country!

 

[laksaboy]

2. yesterday, the state-owned train system started announcing each location in both english & chinese on trains.

I think that has been happening for quite a while now... you didn't take the MRT for a long time, did you?