About 102 mainland Chinese SMRT bus drivers staged a sit-in in on November 26, 2012. The bus drivers were protesting as they were not satisfied with their recent pay increase.
In protest, the drivers gathered in their dormitory in Woodlands and refused to go to work. The Chinese bus drivers have demanded that they must be given a pay scale that is equal to their Malaysian counterparts. Mr He was among the protesters and while talking to reporters said that they were unhappy as the Malaysian drivers received a $275 increment along with a month’s bonus. On the other hand, the Chinese drivers received just a $75 increment without any bonus.
The protester also said that a few bus drivers gathered below the dormitory at 03:30 am on November 26, 2012 and also persuaded other drivers not to go to work. By 8 am there were many drivers who refrained from work and joined the protest. At 9:30 am, an executive from the SMRT human resource, along with an SMRT staff member in charge of Woodlands Bus Interchange, arrived to resolve the dispute. When discussions came to standstill, the police officers in riot vans were called to maintain order. Later however, the drivers returned to their work fearing that they may get arrested for gathering illegally.
