21-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Causeway-bound bus drivers go on strike over pay
JOHOR BARU: Thousands of Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore were left stranded at dawn today after about 100 bus drivers abruptly staged a strike over pay cuts.
It triggered chaos at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) bus terminals and bus stops across the city heading to Singapore.
The surprise boycott, which began at 5am, saw massive queues forming at BSI, with no buses available to ferry workers across the Causeway during the crucial morning rush hour.
Desperate to clock in on time, many resorted to walking the 1.05km stretch from Johor Baru into Singapore on foot, dragging bags and dodging peak-hour traffic.
"I arrived at 6.30am and saw a human flood queuing for buses. We were confused, only to be told the drivers had gone on strike.
"I had no choice but to walk," said Munir Selamat, 34, who works at a restaurant in Singapore.
The drivers' protest was reportedly triggered by a recent wage restructuring by the bus company, which slashed their monthly take-home pay from around RM2,800 to below RM2,000, despite rising living costs.
A driver, who only wanted to be known as Atoi, 35, said they were also forced to accept an additional mandatory route per day, from four to five, which came without proper compensation for extra mileage and time.
"The new salary scheme is unfair. It cuts deep into our earnings, and with extra trips and unclear deductions, many of us decided enough is enough," he added.
Some drivers eventually resumed operations around 10.30am, but not before thousands had already been delayed or forced to find alternate means into Singapore.
Johor Public Works, Transport and Infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh is currently in talks with the bus company and affected drivers to find a resolution.
The New Straits Times has reached out to Causeway Link, which operates one of the largest cross-border bus services between Johor and Singapore.
However, the company has yet to respond as at press time.
Its services cater to thousands of daily commuters, particularly Malaysians working in the republic.
