Sunday, December 02, 2012

DTN News: Middle East Top Stories / Headlines News Dated December 3, 2012

DTN News: Middle East Top Stories / Headlines News Dated December 3, 2012
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 3, 2012: Comprehensive daily news related to Middle East for the world of TODAY.
*Comprehensive daily news related to Middle East Top Stories / Headlines News for the world of TODAY

U.N. nuclear chief sees no progress on Iran concerns

ReutersVIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear agency made no progress in a year-long push to find out if Iran worked on developing an atomic bomb, its chief said on Thursday, calling for urgent efforts to end Tehran's standoff with the West. Yukiya Amano said he would not give up seeking to end what Western diplomats describe as Iranian stonewalling of the agency's investigation into possible milita…

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources 
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - SINGAPORE NEWS: Singapore Deports Striking Chinese Bus Drivers

DTN News - SINGAPORE NEWS: Singapore Deports Striking Chinese Bus Drivers
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
(NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - December 2, 2012: Singapore on Sunday deported 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers involved in the city-state's first industrial strike in 26 years.

The drivers, working for state-linked transport operator SMRT, staged the strike on Monday and Tuesday over a salary dispute and to demand better working conditions. Their work permits had been revoked ahead of their deportation.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs confirms that all 29 former SMRT bus drivers have been repatriated to their home country," the ministry said in a statement.

"They were cooperative and the process took place without incident," it said, adding that Chinese embassy officials and SMRT staff assisted in the repatriation.

Four other drivers were charged in court and authorities said they would lodge charges against a fifth on Monday for their involvement in the work stoppage which the government ruled was illegal.

If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to a year, fined a maximum of Sg$2,000 ($1,640) -- the equivalent of two months' wages -- or both.

The strike, the first since 1986 and which caught the government by surprise, has highlighted tightly-controlled Singapore's heavy dependency on migrant labour to drive its economic growth amid a labour shortage resulting from falling birth rates.

Strikes are illegal in the affluent island-state for workers in "essential services" such as transport unless they give 14 days' prior notice and meet other requirements.

Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said Saturday the workers broke Singapore law, but also chided SMRT saying the company "could have done better in managing their labour grievances and concerns".

SMRT has promised to look into the strikers' demands, fumigate their bedbug-infested dormitory rooms, find alternative housing in 2013 and open permanent communication lines with its Chinese workers.

"Valuable lessons have been learnt from this incident which are being addressed by the management," SMRT said in a statement Saturday, pledging to be "more proactive, responsible and sensitive to the needs" of its drivers.

A total of 171 drivers launched the strike November 26 by refusing to report for work and staying in their dormitories, with the number falling to 88 on the second day.

Sinapan Samydorai, director for Southeast Asian affairs at civil rights group Think Centre, on Saturday criticised the government action as "a bit too harsh".

Related News;


Singapore Deportations Show Strains in Work Force

Businessweek - ‎13 minutes ago‎
Singapore's first labor protest since the 1980s led to the deportation of 29 Chinese bus drivers yesterday and the prosecution of five others, highlighting the difficulty balancing a work force reliant on foreign employees. More than 170 bus drivers failed to report ...

29 'active participants' in illegal bus strike repatriated

TODAYonline - ‎1 hour ago‎
SINGAPORE - The 29 ex-SMRT bus drivers who received stern warnings and had their work permits revoked for their role in last week's illegal strike - over pay and living conditions - were put on flights back to China yesterday afternoon, the Home Affairs ...

Tripartism's stress points are showing

TODAYonline - ‎1 hour ago‎
In managing our heavy reliance on foreign manpower, has complacency crept in? Is tripartism under threat? The SMRT illegal strike last week is a wake-up call to all industrial relations stakeholders. It pointedly reminds us that the stable industrial relations ...

Singapore Deports Chinese Drivers Over Strike

Wall Street Journal - ‎6 hours ago‎
SINGAPORE—Singapore authorities will deport 29 Chinese bus drivers and press criminal charges against five others for participating in a rare protest over wages, the city-state's first strike in 26 years. The walkout last week by 171 public bus drivers hired ...

Singapore deports 29 Chinese bus drivers

Zee News - ‎8 hours ago‎
Singapore deports 29 Chinese bus drivers Singapore: Singapore on Sunday deported 29 Chinese nationals for taking part in a bus drivers' strike earlier this week and for breaking the local laws. "The Ministry of Home Affairs confirms that all 29 former SMRT ...

29 Former SMRT Bus Drivers From China Repatriated To Home Country

Bernama - ‎9 hours ago‎
SINGAPORE, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that all 29 former SMRT bus drivers from China who were allegedly involved in an illegal strike on Nov 26 and 27, 2012 were repatriated to their home country. MFA spokesman said: ...

Singapore deports striking Chinese bus drivers

NDTV - ‎10 hours ago‎
Singapore: Singapore on Sunday deported 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers involved in the city-state's first industrial strike in 26 years. The drivers, working for state-linked transport operator SMRT, staged the strike on Monday and Tuesday over a salary ...

All 29 ex-SMRT bus drivers from China repatriated on Dec 2

Straits Times - ‎11 hours ago‎
A van carrying the former SMRT bus drivers arriving at the Airport Police Division in Changi. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN. All 29 former SMRT bus drivers from China who took part in last week's illegal strikes have been repatriated, said the Home Affairs ...

Singapore charges 5 Chinese nationals for bus driver strike

Zee News - ‎11 hours ago‎
Singapore charges 5 Chinese nationals for bus driver strike Singapore: Singapore will charge a Chinese national on Monday and deport 29 others for taking part in an illegal bus drivers' strike here earlier this week. Four Chinese nationals, who were part of ...

29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in illegal strike sent back to China

TODAYonline - ‎12 hours ago‎
SINGAPORE - All 29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in an illegal strike over pay and living conditions on 26 and 27 November have been sent back to China. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said they were placed on flights between 12.15am and 4.35pm ...

Singapore to send 29 drivers back to China over strike

Asahi Shimbun - ‎16 hours ago‎
SINGAPORE--Singapore will deport 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers for taking part in a brief strike this week and charge a fifth suspect over the rare bout of industrial action in the tightly regulated Asian financial center. "The strike was planned and ...

Fifth driver to be charged and 29 others to be deported

The Star Online - ‎20 hours ago‎
THE police have “substantially completed” their investigations into the illegal strike earlier this week and will be charging a fifth SMRT bus driver from China for instigating the work stoppage. It has also issued stern warnings to 29 other drivers who have since ...

Singapore to deport 29 Chinese bus drivers[1]|chinadaily.com.cn

China Daily - ‎21 hours ago‎
SINGAPORE - A total of 29 Chinese bus drivers will be deported from Singapore after their work permits were revoked following a rare no-show or strike, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower said on Saturday. A fifth driver will be charged in court on Monday for ...

Singapore to deport 29 striking Chinese-national bus drivers

South China Morning Post - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
Singapore will deport 29 bus drivers to China and prosecute five others for taking part in the city state's first strike since the 1980s. The order from the Ministry of Manpower came a day after Beijing urged Singapore to respect the workers' legal rights while also ...

Singapore to deport striking Chinese bus drivers

The Seattle Times - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
Singapore to deport striking Chinese bus drivers. Singapore will deport 29 Chinese immigrant bus drivers who were involved in the city-state's first strike in 26 years, the government said Saturday. The Associated Press. Related. Most Popular Comments...

Singapore orders deportation of 29 striking Chinese drivers

Zee News - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
Singapore orders deportation of 29 striking Chinese drivers Beijing: Acting tough, Singapore has ordered the deportation of 29 Chinese bus drivers and charged five others for their role in a rare strike in the city state. Singapore orders deportation of 29 striking ...

Singapore to deport Chinese bus drivers in strike

Bangkok Post - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
Singapore will deport 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers and prosecute five others for taking part in the city-state's first strike since the 1980s, the government said Saturday. A SMRT bus leaves the Admiralty West prison after taking Chinese bus drivers there.

29 bus drivers who will be repatriated will be paid: SMRT

Channel News Asia - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE: Public transport operator SMRT said the 29 drivers who will be repatriated will be paid, before they leave the country. They will be given all salaries, all claims if any, and ex gratia bonuses on a pro-rated basis. In its statement on Saturday ...

Striking bus drivers to be deported

Independent Online - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
File picture: Singapore will deport 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers and pursue criminal charges against five others for involvement in the city-state's first strike since the 1980s. Singapore -. Singapore will deport 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers and pursue ...

Singapore Government Warns Of Stern Action Against Workers Regardless ...

Bernama - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- The Singapore government will take stern action against any illegal strikes, regardless of the nationality of the strikers, warns Acting Minister for Manpower Tan-Chuan-Jin. He said foreign nationals should abide by the laws of ...

SMRT acknowledges 'valuable lessons learnt'

TODAYonline - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE - The 29 SMRT bus drivers - or service leaders as the company calls them - who will be repatriated will be paid all salaries as of Dec 1 and any claims owed, as well as ex gratia bonuses on a pro-rated basis. In a statement issued tonight, ...

Strikers dealt with in fair, 'very deliberate' way

TODAYonline - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE - The Government has been "very deliberate and very measured" in its handling of the SMRT bus drivers' illegal strike, said Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, and it has sought to ensure it is dealt with "in a fair and balanced way, while ...

SMRT should have done better as employer: Tan Chuan-Jin

TODAYonline - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE - What the striking bus drivers did was wrong and illegal - but SMRT, as their employer, "could have done better in managing their labour grievances and concerns", said Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin. The Ministry of Manpower has ...

SMRT strike situation explained to Chinese embassy: Tan Chuan-Jin

AsiaOne - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE - Speaking at a press conference today, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said that the Chinese embassy in Singapore has been kept informed of the SMRT strike incident involving their citizens. "As with all incidents involving foreign ...

Singapore to deport 29 Chinese bus drivers involved in city-state's first strike in ...

CanadianBusiness.com - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE - Singapore's government says it is deporting 29 Chinese immigrant bus drivers who were involved in the city-state's first strike in 26 years. The Ministry of Manpower also said in a statement Saturday that a fifth driver will be charged with...

Work Permits Of 29 SMRT Drivers From China Revoked, To Be Repatriated For ...

Bernama - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- The Public Prosecutor has obtained a summon for one more person involved in the illegal strike involving SMRT bus drivers to be charged in Court on Monday, Dec 3, under section 9(1) of the Criminal Law (Temporary ...

29 SMRT bus drivers' work permits revoked, will be repatriated

Channel News Asia - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
SINGAPORE: One more SMRT bus driver from China will be charged and another 29 sent back for their involvement in an illegal strike over their pay and living conditions earlier this week. At a news conference on Saturday, the Manpower and Transport ...

Singapore to Deport 29 Bus Drivers for Illegal Strike

Businessweek - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
Singapore will deport 29 SMRT Corp. bus drivers and charge five others for their roles in the city's first labor protest since the 1980s. Those facing charges could be imprisoned for as long as a year for taking part in what was described as an “illegal strike,” ...

Expect slightly longer waits for SMRT buses

TODAYonline - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
With the repatriation of 29 SMRT bus drivers and five others charged, the Government is "expecting a slight degradation of (bus) services," Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said. SMRT's bus services are expected to run at about 95 per cent of ...

Four Chinese bus drivers charged after Singapore strike ends

South China Morning Post - ‎Dec 1, 2012‎
Four mainland Chinese bus drivers accused of instigating Singapore's first strike since the 1980s were charged yesterday with criminal offences that could land them in prison. The four men, aged from 32 to 39, were taken to court one day after mainland ...


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS