By Shukry Rashid
Tower Transit announced on 16 May 2016 a pay raise of 3.5 per cent for 812 bus captains and all staff covered under an agreement with the National Transport Workers Union (NTWU). The increment will take effect from May 2016 and will benefit more than 900 employees of Tower Transit.
A junior bus captain at Tower Transit will now receive a basic monthly salary of $1,930. With overtime and incentives, the amount can go up to about S$3,440 per month.
Cost of Living
The increment is based on national wage data and will mean that Tower Transit’s staff wages keep pace with the cost of living in Singapore.
“By pegging our annual wage adjustments to national wage data, and keeping it separate from performance incentives, we’re making sure all our staff’s wages keep in step with the cost of living in Singapore. We believe this fits in nicely with the SkillsFuture Sectoral Manpower Plan for the public bus industry to attract and retain bus captains,” said Tower Transit Managing Director Andrew Bujtor.
In response to the announcement, NTWU Executive Secretive Melvin Yong said: "The National Transport Workers' Union is satisfied with the outcome of the wage increment negotiation, which is a result of close consultations between the union and the Tower Transit management.
“Besides helping our workers cope with the cost of living, the increment also serves to keep their wages competitive. This will be an important component as we work towards building a strong Singaporean Core in our growing public bus industry."
Source: NTUC This Week
