SMRT says no further adjustments of pay for China bus drivers

SMRT says no further adjustments of pay for China bus drivers
By Sharon See | Posted: 03 December 2012 1854 hrs
    
SINGAPORE: SMRT will not make further adjustments to the salaries of its drivers from China, despite an illegal strike last week over pay and living conditions.

But the company will look into the possibility of allowing its drivers to encash their unused leave.

This was the decision communicated to drivers by SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek at a townhall meeting on Monday morning.

Describing what has been a difficult week for everyone in SMRT, Mr Kuek said the management team is surprised and saddened that the situation had reached the point of an illegal strike.

He stressed that the existing compensation and contract terms are fair.

He also said SMRT reviews the salaries of its drivers regularly to keep pace with the market.

This year, it raised the starting pay of those who joined before July by $75, even though there's no contractual obligation to do so for short-term contract workers.

In mid-November, it decided on a second increment of $25 to their basic salary out of goodwill, backdated to July.

This is being communicated to the drivers and will be implemented in December.

Mr Kuek said the full monthly increase in salary from July 2012 would therefore be $100, and this will be implemented as planned.

With these increments, their starting pay is now $1,100.

He stressed that the remuneration package is fair and equitable, including transport, accommodation and utilities amounting to about $275 borne by the company.

Drivers from Malaysia, said Mr Kuek, are not provided accommodation by the company.

With many drivers clocking an average of 60 hours in overtime a month, their gross pay can reach $1,800 or more.

Member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, told Channel NewsAsia he agreed with SMRT's decision not to raise the pay of drivers from China.

Mr Lim said: "What the CEO has done is the right thing. From the perspective of the employee, if you feel that your salary is not right, you should actually speak to your employers about it. And if at the end of the day, employers are not prepared to increase the salary, you should then look for other employment.

"I think it is also a wrong signal to send if the company adjusts its salary upwards because of actions by employees to force their opinion on their employer to make adjustments to the salary."

Mr Lim said many drivers from China came to Singapore initially satisfied with their salary, and that it is not right for them to compare with their colleagues later and demand a change in the terms of employment.

"When you take up an employment with any company, you don't know what your future colleagues will be earning. You look at what you're offered, and you ask yourself, am I happy with this salary that I'm getting. If you say "yes", then you go in with your eyes open that this is the salary you take when you start work," he said.

Addressing complaints from some drivers about misrepresentation by agents in China who had hired them, Mr Kuek said SMRT will raise this matter with the relevant agencies to investigate further.

He also urged drivers to use the right and proper channels of communication and feedback to voice their unhappiness.

SMRT, he said, acknowledged that its managers and supervisors down the line could have been more sensitive and responsive to the needs of drivers.

It will address this shortcoming with priority and is strengthening its staff communications and engagement.

Turning to the living conditions of the drivers, Mr Kuek said he visited the drivers' rooms and surroundings recently and agreed with them that things can be improved.

As for bed bugs, the dormitory rooms were fumigated last month and again last week.

Mr Kuek said this appears to be a more persistent problem and SMRT will continue to monitor and act on this.

The Singapore Human Resources Institute said companies that employ a large number of foreign workers can do more to ease them into life in Singapore, such as through induction programmes and English lessons.

Mr David Ang, Executive Director of Singapore Human Resources Institute, said: "It is also very important that companies also explain to them that if you are working in the industry which is very important to the public, such as the essential services, then the rules and regulations as well as the law governing work in a company that is providing essential services should be explained to them."

Mr Ang added that companies' communications plan should not only include employment terms and the law, it should also explain their pay structure.

- CNA/de

- wong chee tat :)