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Updated November 29, 2012, 12:36p.m. ET
A NEWS
Beijing Weighs In on Singapore
By CHUN HAN WONG
SINGAPORE—Beijing weighed in on a wage dispute between a company in Singapore and bus drivers it hired from China, calling Thursday for the workers to be treated fairly as four of them were charged in the city-state for allegedly inciting a strike.
A statement from China's Commerce Ministry said overseas workers from China should abide by local laws and regulations, but also said it hoped "all relevant parties can treat the requests of the Chinese drivers fairly, respond to their requests actively and take care of them reasonably to defend [their] legitimate rights."
The comments reflect the level of concern in both countries about the matter, which grew out of what is for Singapore a highly unusual burst of job action and reflects increased tensions over the influx of foreign workers. Singapore relies heavily on foreign labor to power its economy, including low-skilled workers from China.
Singapore prosecutors Thursday charged four Chinese nationals for allegedly inciting a strike involving nearly 200 public bus drivers. The decision by the drivers not to show up for work marked Singapore's first major job action since 1986, ending a record the government had achieved by curtailing union powers to attract foreign investors.
The drivers, who earn a basic salary, before overtime pay, of about 1,075 Singapore dollars a month (US$880) complained that state-controlled transport operator SMRT Corp. S53.SG 0.00% Ltd. had discriminated against them by offering them lower wages and smaller pay raises than those given to Singaporean or Malaysian drivers. They also complain about poor conditions in their dormitories. SMRT says it employs about 2,000 bus drivers, of which about 22% are from China. It says it doesn't discriminate based on nationality but had hired drivers on varying employment terms.
The four men were accused of conspiring to get fellow drivers to participate in an illegal strike, according to charge sheets provided by the Attorney General's Chambers. One of the men was also charged with instigating the walkout by posting comments about the dispute in Chinese on an Internet forum, the documents said. It's unclear if the four have sought their own counsel or will be assigned legal representation by the state. Under Singapore law they cannot be released on bail while facing these charges.
The dispute started Monday when 171 drivers failed to show up for work. Nearly 90 drivers continued the walkout Tuesday, but all had returned to work by Wednesday.
Singapore law requires workers in essential services, including public transport, to give 14 days' notice before going on strike.
Police said they arrested the four accused, aged between 32 to 39, on Wednesday and Thursday. If convicted, the four men charged could each be jailed for up to a year or fined up to S$2,000Singapore dollars ($1,636), or both.
"The illegal strikes are not acceptable and have undermined the industrial harmony we have built over the years," Singapore's Manpower Ministry said Thursday in a statement.
It isn't clear if state prosecutors plan to press charges against other drivers. Police investigations are still in progress, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Chambers said in response to queries.
Analysts have said the melee could complicate the government's efforts to tackle public discontent over immigration. Policy makers are trying to strike a balance in keeping Singapore a top destination for foreign workers and new immigrants—seen as a way to offset low birthrates—while containing antiforeigner sentiment.
Foreigners make up about a third of Singapore's labor force, government data show. As of June, Singapore had about 1.23 million foreign workers.
A NEWS
Beijing Weighs In on Singapore
By CHUN HAN WONG
SINGAPORE—Beijing weighed in on a wage dispute between a company in Singapore and bus drivers it hired from China, calling Thursday for the workers to be treated fairly as four of them were charged in the city-state for allegedly inciting a strike.
A statement from China's Commerce Ministry said overseas workers from China should abide by local laws and regulations, but also said it hoped "all relevant parties can treat the requests of the Chinese drivers fairly, respond to their requests actively and take care of them reasonably to defend [their] legitimate rights."
The comments reflect the level of concern in both countries about the matter, which grew out of what is for Singapore a highly unusual burst of job action and reflects increased tensions over the influx of foreign workers. Singapore relies heavily on foreign labor to power its economy, including low-skilled workers from China.
Singapore prosecutors Thursday charged four Chinese nationals for allegedly inciting a strike involving nearly 200 public bus drivers. The decision by the drivers not to show up for work marked Singapore's first major job action since 1986, ending a record the government had achieved by curtailing union powers to attract foreign investors.
The drivers, who earn a basic salary, before overtime pay, of about 1,075 Singapore dollars a month (US$880) complained that state-controlled transport operator SMRT Corp. S53.SG 0.00% Ltd. had discriminated against them by offering them lower wages and smaller pay raises than those given to Singaporean or Malaysian drivers. They also complain about poor conditions in their dormitories. SMRT says it employs about 2,000 bus drivers, of which about 22% are from China. It says it doesn't discriminate based on nationality but had hired drivers on varying employment terms.
The four men were accused of conspiring to get fellow drivers to participate in an illegal strike, according to charge sheets provided by the Attorney General's Chambers. One of the men was also charged with instigating the walkout by posting comments about the dispute in Chinese on an Internet forum, the documents said. It's unclear if the four have sought their own counsel or will be assigned legal representation by the state. Under Singapore law they cannot be released on bail while facing these charges.
The dispute started Monday when 171 drivers failed to show up for work. Nearly 90 drivers continued the walkout Tuesday, but all had returned to work by Wednesday.
Singapore law requires workers in essential services, including public transport, to give 14 days' notice before going on strike.
Police said they arrested the four accused, aged between 32 to 39, on Wednesday and Thursday. If convicted, the four men charged could each be jailed for up to a year or fined up to S$2,000Singapore dollars ($1,636), or both.
"The illegal strikes are not acceptable and have undermined the industrial harmony we have built over the years," Singapore's Manpower Ministry said Thursday in a statement.
It isn't clear if state prosecutors plan to press charges against other drivers. Police investigations are still in progress, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Chambers said in response to queries.
Analysts have said the melee could complicate the government's efforts to tackle public discontent over immigration. Policy makers are trying to strike a balance in keeping Singapore a top destination for foreign workers and new immigrants—seen as a way to offset low birthrates—while containing antiforeigner sentiment.
Foreigners make up about a third of Singapore's labor force, government data show. As of June, Singapore had about 1.23 million foreign workers.
