SMRT bus driver pleads guilty to starting strike

SINGAPORE: A SMRT bus driver from China has pleaded guilty to starting an illegal strike on 26 November.

Bao Feng Shan, 38, admitted that he committed the offence, shortly after he was charged on Monday with starting the strike between 6am and 7am on 26 November at Woodlands Dormitory.

He also apologised to SMRT, the government of Singapore and his family.

He is the first of five SMRT drivers who have been charged to plead guilty.

If convicted, Bao faces up to a year’s jail or a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.

Four other drivers were charged last Thursday with instigating the drivers to take part in the strike.

They are He Jun Ling (32), Gao Yue Qiang (32), Liu Xiangying (33) and Wang Xianjie (33).

One of them, He, faces an additional charge of making an online post about the strike.

The four are currently remanded at the Central Police Station.

SMRT said 171 bus drivers did not report for work on 26 November and 88 of them continued to stay away from work on 27 November.

Twenty—nine of them were sent back to China on Sunday. The remaining drivers involved will be let off with police warning letters.

— CNA/xq