SMRT Bus Service Drivers Blow the Whistle

[CKP]

SMRT Bus Service Drivers Blow the Whistle

 

Posted by The Online Citizen on May 21, 2012 This email was sent to TOC and other media outlets by a group of SMRT bus drivers who requested that they be allowed to remain anonymous.

 

With regards to the various reports by the local newspapers, a group of bus drivers from SMRT Bus Service would like to point out that in actual fact, there is no salary increase for a large group of bus drivers.

 

The salary adjustment given by SMRT Bus Service is different from that given by SBS Transit. In the case of SBS Transit, they have really given a monetary addition to the salary of all its bus drivers without any withdrawal of variable allowances/incentives or working duration.

 

However, this is not the case with SMRT Bus Service.

 

Main Change by SMRT Bus Service:

 

For a Singaporean bus driver, the salary adjustment is $225 per month.

For a SPR/Malaysian bus driver, the salary adjustment is $100 per month.

However a crucial point to note is that all bus drivers now have to work a 6-days week instead of a 5-days week.

 

The folllowing 5 reasons will highlight how SMRT Bus Service has misrepresented the salary adjustment and in actual fact a large majority of the bus drivers who have been employed for a long time with SMRT Bus Service will lose out:

 

1. With the salary adjustment, all bus drivers are required to work 6 days instead of 5 days. In 2005, we were all on a 6 days work week. Citing work-life balance, SMRT Bus Service changed it to 5 days. Now, they are changing it back to a 6 days work week. By cutting down on our rest days, we will spend more days driving which will make us more tired. This can result in more accidents and increased MCs.

 

2. The change from a 5 days work week to a 6 days work week will result in a pay loss for bus drivers who have a gross monthly salary of about $1150 and above.

 

The formula for calculating the daily gross renumeration of a bus driver is (12 months x gross salary) divided by (52 weeks x No. of days worked in a week).

 

The following scenarios will show how bus drivers earning above $1100 will lose out in terms of monetary gains:

 

Scenario A:

For a Singaporean Bus Driver previously earning $1100, the daily gross renumeration for a 5 day week is $50.769. After the salary adjustment of $225, the daily gross renumeration for a 6 day week is $50.961 (increase)

 

Scenario B: For a Singaporean Bus Driver previously earning $1300, the daily gross renumeration for a 5 day week is $60.00. After the salary adjustment of $225 the daily gross renumeration for a 6 day week is $58.654 (decrease)

 

Scenario C: For a Singaporean Bus Driver previously earning $1500, the daily gross renumeration for a 5 day week is $69.231. After the salary adjustment of $225, the daily gross renumeration for a 6 day week is $66.346 (decrease)

 

As you can see from above scenarios, only Scenario A will result in a gain in gross salary for a Singaporean bus driver.

 

The daily difference may seem negligible however, when taken as a whole on an annual basis, this results in a substantial reduction in annual renumeration for the bus drivers who are already trying hard to make ends meet to support their families.

 

3. Based on the examples shown in the above point, the salary adjustment will also result in a lower annual renumeration for bus drivers earning more than $1150, those who work on their rest day/ public holiday and the encashment of annual leave. Having the policy changed by SMRT Bus Service from a 5 days work week to a 6 days work week will result in bus drivers having less time for their families, which is contrary to the Singapore government's policy of work-life balance. Bus drivers will only have 1 rest day a week and have to apply leave should they wish to spend more time with their family. Currently, on a 5 days work week, it is already very hard for us to apply leave as there is a quota set for each service route. With only one rest day now, it will only make matters worst. How does SMRT Bus Service expect to recruit more locals with 6 days work week?

 

4. Another point that was not reported is that SMRT Bus Service has also grouped the Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) and Malayians in the same category, and are giving a salary adjustment of only $100 to SPR and Malayian bus drivers. This decision has left many SMRT Bus Service bus drivers holding SPR status wondering why this is so when no Foreign Worker Levy is needed to be paid by SMRT Bus Service for the SPRs unlike non-SPR bus drivers.

 

5. Lastly, the reports by the local newspapers also left out the fact that SMRT Bus Service had factored in the salary increment into the salary adjustment ($225 for Singaporean bus drivers and $100 for the SPR and Malayian bus drivers). That is to say, the salary adjustment is even less than reported. With this year's inflation forcasted at 5.2%, NTUC has called companies to give employees a pay rise to beat inflation. Taking an average of $1300, a 5.2% increment for us is around $80. We need to therefore deduct $80 from the $225/$100 to reflect our actual salary adjustment.

 

We hope that the correct facts can be made public and that our union did not help us. This has led to much confusion and unhappiness among fellow colleagues and members of the public.

 

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/05/smrt-b...ow-the-whistle/

 

 

Alamak...

 

Low pay no enough

 

now must make them work longer.

 

 

Is this kind of work arrangement consistent with

 

the loud calls for a more inclusive society?

 

[The_Bear]

Why the hell did we privatize bus services in the first place?

[Wasted]

wow really disgusted to read such news! SMRT listed company so still profit driven ...

 

case of misrepresentation to con the public!!!

Edited May 21, 2012 by Wasted

[Happily1986]

Alamak...

 

Low pay no enough

 

now must make them work longer.

 

 

Is this kind of work arrangement consistent with

 

the loud calls for a more inclusive society?

 

 

Someone ought to impress real big on the higher ups in SMRT that this wage restructuring exercise cannot be termed as a simple salary raise. A salary raise gives the impression that such a gesture is one borne out of good will at the discretion of the employer. No way that is going to sit well with me. I prefer to call it a wage rationalisation exercise. As things are, it is very clear that our bus drivers are paid well below the salary baseline, a baseline of which i will consider as fair remuneration. This wage adjustment initiative cannot be regarded as a prerogative of the employer. It is something which should have been done many moons ago!

[The_Bear]

Someone ought to impress real big on the higher ups in SMRT that this wage restructuring exercise cannot be termed as a simple salary raise. A salary raise gives the impression that such a gesture is one borne out of good will at the discretion of the employer. No way that is going to sit well with me. I prefer to call it a wage rationalisation exercise. As things are, it is very clear that our bus drivers are paid well below the salary baseline, a baseline of which i will consider as fair remuneration. This wage adjustment initiative cannot be regarded as a prerogative of the employer. It is something which should have been done many moons ago!

 

I am going to boycott smrt buses from tomorrow onwards. :angry:

[Poper]

Hope these courageous bus drivers can expose more mgmt screw-ups :angry:

[CKP]

Why the hell did we privatize bus services in the first place?

 

Supposedly to spur competition, efficieny gains

 

and deliever quality services.

 

 

 

I think nothing was said the privatization will provide

 

a decent living wage for the bus drivers.

 

 

 

[CKP]

wow really disgusted to read such news! SMRT listed company so still profit driven ...

 

case of misrepresentation to con the public!!!

 

The management and unions will wake up

 

and offer clarifications to the "misunderstanding by the bus drivers"...

 

soon I hope...

 

 

[Kopites]

I am going to boycott smrt buses from tomorrow onwards. :angry:

 

 

When was the last time u took public transport. Dont make me laugh..bear bear...

[Benkoh85]

woah... SMRT is so profit driven.. and gosh.. their pay is so low! how to support family... :(

[Vid]

I am going to boycott smrt buses from tomorrow onwards. :angry:

 

Me too! Boycott them. I'm driving for the rest of my life

[Mustank]

Really is Phua Kang Tao!

[CKP]

Someone ought to impress real big on the higher ups in SMRT that this wage restructuring exercise cannot be termed as a simple salary raise. A salary raise gives the impression that such a gesture is one borne out of good will at the discretion of the employer. No way that is going to sit well with me. I prefer to call it a wage rationalisation exercise. As things are, it is very clear that our bus drivers are paid well below the salary baseline, a baseline of which i will consider as fair remuneration. This wage adjustment initiative cannot be regarded as a prerogative of the employer. It is something which should have been done many moons ago!

 

It is my understanding that the national wage council's wage recommendations are non-compulsory.

 

Any wage increase recommendations by NWC are hence not legally binding on the employer SMRT.

 

Edited May 21, 2012 by CKP

[Benkoh85]

The management and unions will wake up

 

and offer clarifications to the "misunderstanding by the bus drivers"...

 

soon I hope...

 

 

 

 

i think i saw the chinese newspapers (sin min and wan bao) carrying headers clarifying the pay increment and 6 day work week....

but din buy... any bros out here got it?

[CKP]

I am going to boycott smrt buses from tomorrow onwards. :angry:

 

All along you have been boycotting for years like most people in MCF?

 

 

 

[CKP]

i think i saw the chinese newspapers (sin min and wan bao) carrying headers clarifying the pay increment and 6 day work week....

but din buy... any bros out here got it?

 

Should be the same letter sent to wanbao and TOC

 

as mentioned in TOC.

 

Same letter, same material...

 

 

[Happily1986]

I hear the national wage council's wage recommendations are non-compulsory.

 

Any wage increase recommendations by NWC are hence not legally binding on the employer SMRT.

 

 

It is times like this when i feel the silence from the NTWU and its umbrella mother, the NTUC particularly deafening. Very deafening when you consider the unequal terms subjected upon SMRT drivers in comparison to CDG's bus drivers.

 

Let us wait and watch the grand performance of its grand maestro. He needs no further introduction. The bestest, i have no doubt.

[Mustank]

All along you have been boycotting for years like most people in MCF?

 

 

 

 

Dont picha everybody's lobang leh