4 SMRT bus drivers charged with instigating illegal strike

[TIE Interceptor]

4 SMRT bus drivers charged with instigating illegal strike

By Sharon See | Posted: 29 November 2012 1841 hrs

SINGAPORE: Four SMRT bus drivers from China were charged on Thursday with instigating an illegal strike involving fellow drivers at the Woodlands dormitory on 26 and 27 November.

The four are: He Jun Ling, 32; Gao Yue Qiang, 32; Liu Xiangying, 33; and Wang Xianjie, 39.

They are accused of engaging in a conspiracy to instigate the drivers to take part in the strike.

20 SMRT bus drivers were brought to the police headquarters for investigations on Wednesday.

Authorities could not confirm if more drivers would be charged over the next few days as the police are still investigating the case.

If convicted, each of them may be fined up to S$2,000 or jailed 12 months.

The offences are not bailable under the statute. They will be remanded for a week at the Central Police Station.

He Jun Ling faces an additional charge of making an online post about the strike.

He is accused of calling his fellow drivers to "take action" in a post he wrote in Chinese on website Baidu.

He allegedly called the drivers to "go on MC together tomorrow, 26, Monday and 27, Tuesday."

He allegedly said that if a few hundred bus drivers did not report for work for a few days, there would be public outcry in Singapore and that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) would then have to start questioning SMRT.

He allegedly said the matter concerns the interest of everybody, and everyone should take part in the action.

Channel NewsAsia asked the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) if more drivers will be charged over the next few days.

In response, an AGC spokesperson said police are still investigating.

171 bus drivers took part in the strike on Monday and 88 of them continued with the strike on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, 20 SMRT bus drivers were called in by police to help with investigations.

"We understand the grievances of SMRT drivers and it's unfortunate that they sought to resolve this matter through organising an illegal strike," said Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo.

"Maintaining industrial harmony is very important to Singapore, particularly because public transport is one of the essential services so we have to take it in a very serious manner," she added.

Minister of State for Manpower Amy Khor also said she welcomed police investigations and that "what has happened has damaged this industrial harmony that we have built up over the years and swift action must be carried out".

Representatives from the Chinese Embassy were seen at the Subordinate Courts on Thursday.

In a statement in Mandarin on its website, the Chinese Embassy in Singapore expressed concern over the arrest of the four drivers.

It said its consular staff had conveyed its concern to the relevant authorities in Singapore and are making arrangements to pay the four arrested a consular visit.

The Embassy also urged all parties to remain calm and objective, and to work together to resolve the matter.

- CNA/ir/jc

 

[TIE Interceptor]

Four SMRT bus drivers from China have just been charged in court for their role in the illegal strike at a worker's dormitory in Woodlands earlier this week.
They are He Jun Ling, 32 (shown in picture), Gao Yue Qiang, 32, Liu Xiangying, 33, and Wang Xian Jie, 39.

Officials from the Chinese embassy arriving at the SMRT dormitory in Woodlands to hold discussions with the bus drivers.
The embassy has said in a statement that it is concerned about the arrests of four SMRT bus drivers for their role in the illegal strike earlier in the week.

Some SMRT bus drivers who went on strike bring brought to the Subordinate Courts to be charged.


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[TIE Interceptor]

Some SMRT bus drivers who went on strike bring brought to the Subordinate Courts to be charged.

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[TIE Interceptor]

Chinese officials arriving at the dorm at about 7.30pm on Thursday.


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[TIE Interceptor]

6 weeks' jail for SMRT bus driver involved in strike

By Dylan Loh/Alvina Soh | Posted: 03 December 2012 1226 hrs

(Photo by: Hester Tan, channelnewsasia.com)

SINGAPORE: A SMRT bus driver from China has been sentenced to six weeks' jail for taking part in an illegal strike.

Bao Feng Shan, 38, admitted that he committed the offence on 26 November.

He appeared grim in court on Monday, as the charge was read out to him in Mandarin, accusing him of "commencing" the strike between 6am and 7am on 26 November at Woodlands Dormitory.

Bao, who did not engage a lawyer, acknowledged the "adverse effects" of the strike.

Speaking through a court interpreter, he said he was "deeply remorseful and apologetic".

Bao, who teared several times, also apologised to the government of Singapore, SMRT and his family.

He said a jail sentence would have adverse effects on his eight-year-old daughter.

Bao was deployed to Kranji Depot to drive Service 106 at the time of the offence.

The tall and bespectacled man had been working for SMRT since 2008.

Some time between 6am and 7am on 26 November, he joined many drivers in refusing to go to work.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Peggy Pao told the court that Bao was not happy that he was not entitled to the same year-end bonuses and increments as his Malaysian counterparts.

He did not give notice of his intention to strike on 26 and 27 November.

The court heard that Bao did not start the strike, but took on a participatory role.

But DPP Pao pointed out that although Bao was not charged as an instigator, he was "far from a mere passive participant".

She acknowledged that there may have been "a genuine sense of frustration" but stressed that there was no justification to resort to a strike.

The DPP had pushed for a deterrent sentence of six weeks' jail, on the grounds of the "considerable public disquiet" caused by the strike.

She said a lenient approach may encourage others to think that they can commit similar offences and "conveniently express remorse to escape custodial sentence".

She stressed that the illegal strike was not a case of a few workers refraining from work but was a large-scale organised effort to use illegal means to coerce the management of SMRT into giving in to the workers' demands.

During sentencing, Senior District Judge See Kee Oon highlighted an aggravating factor - that the act was calculated to cause obstruction and inconvenience to transport services.

He noted that Bao did not return to work the next day, even though he was advised to do so by SMRT and the Ministry of Manpower.

He also made a number of threatening comments, warning of further strikes if the demands were not met.

The judge acknowledged Bao's plea of leniency, saying he showed remorse by pleading guilty right after he was charged.

But he agreed with the prosecution that deterrence must be a primary consideration and that a jail sentence was warranted.

He said while Bao may have been motivated by a sense of grievance, he went against the law.

Bao is the first of five SMRT drivers who have been charged to plead guilty.

Four other drivers were charged last Thursday with instigating the drivers to take part in the strike.

They are He Jun Ling (32), Gao Yue Qiang (32), Liu Xiangying (33), Wang Xianjie, (33).

One of them, He, faces an additional charge of making an online post about the strike.

The four are currently remanded at the Central Police Station.

SMRT said 171 bus drivers did not report for work on 26 November and 88 of them continued to stay away from work on 27 November.

Twenty-nine of them were sent back to China on Sunday.

SMRT said it will not adjust the salaries of its drivers from China despite the strike.

Its Chief Executive Desmond Kuek said this in a town hall meeting with drivers on Monday.

- CNA/xq

 

[TIE Interceptor]

29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in illegal strike sent back to China

Posted: 02 December 2012 1739 hrs

An Immigration and Checkpoint Authority van leaves the Admiralty West prison in Singapore where mainland Chinese SMRT bus drivers were taken on December 1. Singapore has sent home the 29 mainland Chinese drivers involved in

29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in illegal strike sent back to China

SINGAPORE: All 29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in an illegal strike over pay and living conditions on 26 and 27 November have been sent back to China.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said they were placed on flights between 12:15am and 4:35pm on Sunday.

MHA said they were cooperative and that the process took place without incident.

Officials from the Chinese embassy, as well as SMRT staff, assisted in the repatriation exercise.

The 29 drivers, who were rounded up on Saturday morning, were absent from work on one or both days of the illegal strike.

Their work permits were revoked.

Although some of them had medical certificates, the authorities said these drivers were recalcitrant and participated actively in the strike.

On Thursday, four other SMRT drivers from China were charged with instigating the strike.

A fifth driver will be charged in court on Monday.

Over 150 other drivers will be let off, with police warning letters.

- CNA/ck

 

[TIE Interceptor]

HK activists stage protest; call for release of SMRT bus drivers

Published on Dec 05, 2012
3:56 PM

A Hong Kong labour activist displays a letter showing the picture of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong outside the consulate of Singapore as a representative of the consulate (left) looks on during a protest in Hong Kong on Dec 5, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP

By Li Xueying, Hong Kong Correspondent

HONG KONG - Labour activists from the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions are calling for the release of the former SMRT bus drivers detained for going on an illegal strike last week. They also called on the Singapore government to amend the law stipulating that workers providing essential services need to give an advance notice of 14 days before striking.

The group of about 20 protesters congregated in front of the Singapore consulate office in Admiralty shouting slogans such as "equal rights, equal pay", and passed a petition letter to an official from the consulate.

The group's leader Lee Cheuk Yan accused Singapore of not respecting international labour standards that enshrine workers' rights to strike and which call for equal standards for migrant workers.

On why the activists from Hong Kong are exercised about the situation in Singapore, he told The Straits Times: "If the Singapore government is able to get away with this violation, it will set a bad example to other governments."

Get a copy of The Straits Times

 

[TIE Interceptor]

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[winnipegjets]

The illegality of the strike should be challenged. The PRC government should help these workers fight the charge and put that law on trial. SMRT management ignore their complaints ...what are they supposed to do? Do like sinkees, just suck it up? These PRC nationals have guts and know their rights. They did what was necessary. Moreover, SMRT had violated the contract by not providing them with acceptable accommodations.

Fight the law and the PAP government.

 

[Millennium Falcon]

Four former SMRT bus drivers from China released on bail

By Alice Chia | Posted: 06 December 2012 1232 hrs

A SMRT bus leaves the Admiralty West prison after taking in mainland Chinese bus drivers to the prison on 1 December. (AFP/ROSLAN RAHMAN)

SINGAPORE: The four ex-SMRT drivers from China who have been charged with instigating an illegal strike have been released on bail.

In court on Thursday, He Jun Ling, who faces two charges of inciting SMRT drivers to take part in the strike on 26 and 27 November, was granted bail of $20,000. His passport will be impounded.

According to court documents, He, 32, also made a post in Chinese at Baidu, allegedly asking other workers to take medical leave together.

The other three drivers - Gao Yue Qiang, 32, Wang Xian Jie, 39 and Liu Xiang Ying, 33 - were granted bail of $10,000 each. Their passports will also be impounded.

They will be back in court on 12 December 2012.

- CNA/ck/de

 

[TIE Interceptor]

Four Chinese nationals charged with instigating bus strike released on bail

Published on Dec 06, 2012

Clockwise from top left: SMRT bus drivers from China: He Jun Ling, Liu Xiang Ying, Gao Yue Qiang and Wang Xianjie. Gao, Liu and Wang, have been granted bail of $10,000, while He, who faces a second charge of inciting the strike needs to raise $20,000. -- PHOTOS: ZAOBAO, CAROLINE CHIA

By Maria Almenoar & Joyce Lim

The four SMRT drivers from China charged with instigating last week's strike, were on Thursday released on bail pending a further court mention on Dec 12.

Gao Yue Qiang, 32, Liu Xiangying, 33, and Wang Xianjie, 39, were out on bail of $10,000, while He Jun Ling, 32, who faces a second charge of inciting the strike was released on $20,000 bail.

The four accused persons left the Subordinate Courts in taxi, accompanied by a small group of unidentified persons.

It is also not known who posted their bail, although lawyer M.Ravi and representatives from migrant worker groups were present to help in the process.

Read the full report in The Straits Times.

 

[TIE Interceptor]

Ex-SMRT bus drivers undecided on claiming trial

By Alice Chia | Posted: 19 December 2012 1906 hrs

(Photo by: Hester Tan, channelnewsasia.com)

SINGAPORE: The four ex-SMRT drivers charged with instigating an illegal strike are undecided on whether to claim trial.

If they choose to, it means they dispute the charge and would like a court hearing to defend themselves.

They were back in court on Wednesday for a pre-trial conference.

A date was fixed for the next pre-trial conference, which would take place on 10 January 2013.

By then, the four would need to decide whether to claim trial.

If there is a trial, some dates proposed by the defence are - the second half of February, or first half of March.

Mr Choo Zheng Xi from Peter Low LLC, part of the defence team representing the drivers, said most importantly, the men wanted to get back to their families.

Thirty-two-year-old He Jun Ling faces two charges of instigating an illegal strike.

The other three - 32-year-old Gao Yue Qiang, 33-year-old Liu Xiangying, and 39-year-old Wang Xianjie - face one charge each.

- CNA/ck

 

[TIE Interceptor]

Prosecution offers to reduce charges against four SMRT drivers involved in strike

Published on Jan 10, 2013

SMRT bus drivers from China, who refused to show up for work, gathering outside their dormitory in Woodlands on the early morning of Nov 26, 2012. The prosecution on Thursday offered to reduce the charges faced by four SMRT bus drivers from conspiring and instigating a strike among drivers last November, to participating in the illegal industrial action, if they plead guilty. --SHIN MIN PHOTO

By Khushwant Singh

The prosecution on Thursday offered to reduce the charges faced by four SMRT bus drivers from conspiring and instigating a strike among drivers last November, to participating in the illegal industrial action, if they plead guilty.

This was revealed by the defence counsel who is representing one of the drivers after after a pre-trial conference on Thursday.

He Jun Ling, 32, Gao Yue Qiang, 32, Liu Xiangying, 33, and Wang Xianjie, 39, were charged with conspiring and instigating a strike among drivers in November last year.

He, however, still faces another charge of inciting workers to strike in relation to a statement he posted on Chinese website Baidu.

 

[PhilOakey]

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