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Civil society groups call for solidarity with migrant Chinese SMRT Bus Drivers on International Migrants? Day

Published by The Online Citizen on December 19, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

Civil society groups call for solidarity with migrant Chinese SMRT Bus Drivers on International Migrants? Day

Ten civil society groups and more than 300 individuals have endorsed a petition urging the Singapore government to ensure that the migrant Chinese SMRT drivers who have been charged for participating in an illegal ?strike? be given a fair trial. It has also urged the State to redress the imbalance of power between corporations and workers, protect all workers against inequality, exploitation and discrimination in the workplace, and ensure that that all the parties that are responsible for the situation giving rise to the ?strike? are held accountable.

The statement was issued by Workfair Singapore, a group of civil society activists concerned about the implications of the strike on the rights of workers, migrant and local. According to the statement, the SMRT labour dispute raises several questions:

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a) Was it fair for the bus drivers to be charged or deported before the extent of SMRT?s failures had been fully determined?

b) If ?zero tolerance? is the prescribed policy for workers engaged in ?illegal strikes?, why is there no accountability for employers who fail to adequately address their concerns?

c) What are the limitations in our laws, policies and procedures which contributed to the workers? grievances and the lack of resolution of these grievances?

d) Foreign workers doing low paid work are most in need of the protection of a trade union. Why were none of the workers members of the union?

It also highlights two issues:

a) The huge imbalance of power between corporations and their workers ? an issue of urgent relevance to Singaporeans and people working in Singapore;

b) The State?s complicity in promoting this imbalance by focussing disproportionately on the ?illegality? of the workers? actions. The State, by punishing an act of civil disobedience carried out in opposition to an unfair and exploitative situation, effectively reinforces the systemic flaw.

The ten groups that have endorsed this statement are:

1) Maruah

2) Public House

3) Slutwalk, Singapore

4) Project X

5) Transitioning

6) Function 8

7) Sayoni

8) Think Centre

9) People Like Us

10) Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign

Media contact: Mr Samydorai Sinapan, workfairsg@gmail.com

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Source: http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/12/civil-society-groups-call-for-solidarity-with-migrant-chinese-smrt-bus-drivers-on-international-migrants-day/

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