Worker, who climbed crane in protest, charged

[Kenshin Uesugi]

Jul 6, 2011

Worker, who climbed crane in protest, charged

A FOREIGN worker is said to have entered a construction site at Changi South Avenue 2 on Monday morning and climbed to the top of a 30m-tall crane. Yang Wei, 27, a Chinese national, was charged on Wednesday with criminal trespass.

According to a police news release on Tuesday, he scaled the crane to express his unhappiness over a salary dispute with his former employers, who are believed to be operating at the construction site. He threatened not to come down unless his demands were met. Only after nearly two hours of persuasion by a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officer, did he descend at 10.10am.

Yang was not authorised to enter the construction site. He is also said to have committed the offence of criminal trespass despite knowing that the dispute had already been referred to the MOM for resolution and the matter was being looked into.

A Shin Min Daily News reporter saw two co-workers climbing up the crane in safety gear to hand Yang a harness and helmet. It was also reported that a company's representative also went up with about $4,000 to show the protesting worker that there was money to pay him. That is said to be the amount of salary arrears in dispute. But it was not stated if any money exchanged hands.

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[Huang Zhong]

Jul 21, 2011

Crane climber jailed 5 weeks for criminal trespass

By Khushwant Singh

Foreign worker, Yang Wei (right), 27, had climbed to the top of a 30m tall crane on the morning of July 4, 2011 and threatened to stay there till his demands over a pay dispute were met. -- PHOTO: SHIN MIN

A CHINESE national, who climbed up a 30m-tall crane and refused to come down until a pay dispute was settled, was jailed for five weeks on Thursday. District judge Low Wee Ping said imposing only a fine on Yang Wei would be a signal to other workers to threaten their employers with acts not in accordance with the law.

The 27-year-old had pleaded guilty last week to trespassing onto the Nakano construction site at Changi South Avenue 2 at 8.30am on July 4. There, he had climbed to the top of a crane.

He came down nearly two hours later after he was handed the $5,000 which he claimed was his overtime pay, medical expenses and repatriation costs that were owed to him by his former employer Zhong Jiang International.

Defence counsel Gregory Vijayendran argued that a fine would be appropriate punishment as his client broke the law while under 'overwhelming emotional stress' as Yang was facing an impending divorce with his wife in China and his mother was rendered semi-paralysed by a brain haemorrhage recently.

The Chinese national could not wait for Manpower Ministry to resolve the dispute as he wanted to return to Beijing immediately.

In reply to the lawyer's arguments that Yang had conducted a 'peaceful protest' with no damage to property or disruption of work, deputy public prosecutor Grace Lim pointed out that police and civil defence resources have been 'wasted' dealing with the incident and asked for Yang to be jailed for eight weeks.

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[Huang Zhong]

Worker jailed five weeks for criminal trespass
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 21 July 2011 1331 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Twenty-seven-year-old construction worker, Yang Wei, could have lodged a complaint with the Manpower Ministry after his employer did not pay him his salary of S$5,000.

Instead, the China national took matters into his own hands on July 4.

He entered a construction site at Changi South Avenue 2, climbed up to a crane tower control cage 30 metres above the ground and refused to come down until he received the money.

Yang was Thursday sentenced to five weeks' jail for criminal trespass.

A safety coordinator at the construction site, 34-year-old Tang Yee Chiang, spotted him in the cage and told him to come down.

When Yang refused, Mr Tang climbed up to him and tried to convince him to return to safety.

Yang told him that Zhong Jiang International owed him money and had also shortchanged him on salary as well as medical claims.

Soon after this, Mr Tang contacted the site's supervisor, Ding Jia Gen, who was employed by the same company, informing him about the situation.

Forty-three-year-old Mr Ding asked his main office to prepare the money.

One of his colleagues then handed it over to a placated Yang who climbed down from the cage.

Lawyers, Ms Sheela Kumari Devi and Mr Gregory Vijayendran represented Yang in court.

Mr Vijayendran told District Judge Low Wee Ping that their client committed the offence due to "overwhelming emotional stress".

The lawyer added that Yang is the sole breadwinner of his family and has a sick mother who is semi-paralysed and asked for a light custodial sentence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Lim however pressed for a deterrent one of at least eight weeks' jail.

She said this would send out a strong message to other workers that they should not resort to similar tactics to resolve their disputes.

The S$5,000 owed to Yang is now with the authorities and will be returned to him after his release.

- CNA/cc

 

[sta1100]

He think he is in China, WTF

 

[red amoeba]

these PRCs are like that...they think they are fucking kings...anything not happy, they will vent it their own way.

like climbing up the crane...CB, i won't waste time to negotiate with him...i will take a sniper rifle and shoot him.

 

[Black2545]

蠢人! Moron ! this is Singapore, NOT China, Singapore don't have such Freedom, If you protest, than It FREE DOOM for you.