By Ryan Chan
Revisions to the salary package for bus captains in SBS Transit (SBST) will mean workers can potentially draw a monthly gross salary of about $3,460.
The 15 per cent wage increase comes as a result of close discussions between SBST and the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) under the collective agreement signed by both parties.
New Singaporean and permanent residents who join as bus captains will receive a basic monthly salary of $1,950, up from the current $1,775. With overtime and incentives, each bus captain can receive about $3,460 or more each month. Newly hired bus captains will also receive a sign-on bonus of $3,000.
A new reliability incentive – the Bus Service Reliability Framework – has also been introduced, which pays up to $300 a month if bus captains achieve the set targets. The framework is currently on trial with 25 bus services, but will soon be extended to all bus captains. The amounts for these incentives will also be increased.
The new salary package also comes with enhanced benefits such as free travel on all train and bus services, free annual health screening, two weeks of paid paternity leave and a new flexible benefits scheme with an annual value of $500.
Attracting More Singaporeans
SBST CEO Gan Juay Kiat said the transport operator hopes to attract more Singaporeans and permanent residents to join them and strengthen the local core.
The company has adopted the Progressive Wage Model since 2012, where bus captains can take up structured training programmes already in place to to progress to executive and managerial positions.
NTWU Executive Secretary Melvin Yong said: “As the Singapore public bus industry grows and evolves, this review of employment terms and career progression for our bus captains is timely. As our biggest local public bus operator, SBS Transit sets a good example.
“Implementing the Progressive Wage Model and various career pathway opportunities ... are important steps to professionalise our public bus industry so that we can better attract and retain staff, and also to build a stronger Singaporean core.”
Source: NTUC This Week
