The SBST had referred the terms of the collective agreement to the IAC, which serves as a “last resort” to resolve labour disputes, as they affect not only the five drivers, but also about 6,000 other SBST drivers. The powers of our unions are granted by the Labour Relations Act. The law is designed for the prevention and resolution of labour disputes through collective bargaining, conciliation and conciliation by the labour tribunal. The work of collective bargaining should not be seen as an adversarial act. Unions can be friends with employers and the government. That is the spirit of the triangle, and it is something that many countries cannot do. Melvin Yong, Executive Secretary of the NTWU, said: “The National Transport Workers Union will continue to work closely with SBST to ensure that the terms of our collective agreement remain competitive and are always beneficial to our members. Chan J.A. stated that there was no need to address this issue, as SBST complies with legal limits, in accordance with the sampling plans it has submitted.
Chan J.A. stated that the collective agreements were respected in accordance with the sampling contracts, sampling plans and salary calculations submitted by SBST. SINGAPORE – The terms of several collective agreements between SBS Transit (SBST) and the National Union of Transport Workers (NTWU) are not contrary to the Labour Act, but the language could be clearer to avoid confusion. The President of the Industrial Arbitration Court (IAC), Judge Chan Seng Onn, issued a written decision on Wednesday (November 13th) in which he outlined his interpretation of collective agreements. If all these agreements have been negotiated and agreed upon, then the unions will sign an agreement with the leaders of your company. This is called the collective agreement. If it is signed and certified by the labour tribunal, it is binding and a company must respect it. The court did not hear the complaints of the five SBST bus drivers who, separately, are suing their employer in state courts. The drivers claim that the SBST paid them for overtime under the ministry`s overtime rate and that their working time records do not match their monthly pay slips.
“We thank the IAC for realizing that we have not only acted in accordance with our commitments, but that we have gone further for the good of our bus captains.” “If you employ just enough drivers and in a situation where there is a shortage because of certain performance requirements, that cannot be the case if you have to rely on it,” he told the court.