JB-Singapore shuttle bus drivers end strike

New Straits Times

2 days ago

JOHOR BARU: Some 100 shuttle bus drivers serving the Johor Baru-Singapore route resumed duty yesterday morning after the company agreed to reinstate their previous salary structure, ending a one-day strike that caused major disruptions for thousands of cross-border commuters.
The strike was sparked by a revised pay scheme that saw drivers losing between RM800 and RM900 in monthly income.
They were also required to make an additional daily trip to Singapore. Previously, they were required to make four trips back and forth between Johor Baru and Singapore.
A shuttle bus driver, who wanted to be known only as Atoi, 35, said his monthly salary had previously averaged RM2,800 before the changes were implemented two months ago.
"The new structure significantly reduced our earnings. We were not trying to inconvenience commuters, we just wanted our rights respected," he said.
"We returned to work only after the company agreed to revert to the original pay terms."
He added that the discontent among Singapore-bound shuttle bus drivers over pay cuts and additional duties had been brewing for months.
"When our latest salary slips were issued a day late, it was the straw that broke the camel's back, triggering the strike by some 100 drivers," Atoi said.
On Monday, the drivers had kept the bus doors shut while parked at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) bus terminal platform, where the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex is housed.
The New Straits Times learnt that drivers on the Causeway route usually received higher allowances than those on the Second Link.
"We used to earn between RM2,800 and RM2,900 a month. After the adjustment, some of us took home less than RM2,000.
"There were also salary deductions that we do not fully understand. The system has become unfair and unclear," he said.
The drivers resumed work after the bus company agreed to revert to the previous salary structure following a meeting with Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communication committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh.
The strike began about 5am and triggered a massive congestion at BSI, with some workers resorting to walking across the Causeway to reach their workplaces in Singapore.
Operations resumed in stages after Fazli intervened and mediated between the drivers and the company.
Anwar Ahmad, 29, a Malaysian cleaner working in Singapore, said yesterday's morning commute went smoothly with no queues at the BSI bus platforms.
"Monday was a nightmare. Everything returned to normal today (yesterday). Buses were on time, no delays," he said.
Fazli, who is Bukit Pasir assemblyman, confirmed that the service had fully resumed.
He expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved in good faith.