Re: SMRT's EVP Ms Teo Chew Hoon ( Monthly Salary S$50,000 ++ ) " There Are Lesso
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/smrt-on-dorm-conditions--we-could-have-done-better-035351672.html
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.SMRT on dorm conditions: We could have done better
SMRT has acknowledged the poor living conditions at bus drivers' dorms in Woodlands and said it was taking swift action to improve them.
The living conditions at the dormitories are one of the main reasons why over 170 bus drivers from mainland China went on strike earlier this week. The other reason was the perceived unfairness over pay compared to other foreign bus drivers from Malaysia.
In a statement issued by SMRT on Wednesday evening, SMRT said fumigation works to remove bed bugs have been scheduled while remedial works on fittings are already underway.
SMRT executive vice president Teo Chew Hoon said: "There are lessons from this episode, including how we can better engage our Service Leaders, and we will improve in this area. In the meantime, we are doing our utmost to make immediate improvements to their living conditions.
However, SMRT insisted its remuneration package for its drivers from China was competitive and took into account the foreign worker levy and provision of transport, accomodation and utilities.
In an interview with Yahoo! Singapore earlier this week, a female bus driver from China who declined to be named had highlighted the poor living conditions.
"They may say that we are given accommodation, but have you seen the accommodation they give us? It isn't fit for humans," she said in Mandarin. "Eight of us share a room, and there isn't any walking space between our beds. I've also been bitten by rats and insects on multiple occasions before."
Nonetheless, she said all that is still bearable compared to the disparity in pay they receive for their work.
"This really is unfair to us. We do the exact same work, work for the same number of hours and yet we don't receive the same compensation. Our living conditions back home are far, far better than they are here."
