The Bus Strike In Singapore Essay Example for Free

The Bus Strike In capital of Singapore EssayFundamental lessons which we privy tout ensemble learn from the bus key (Singapore) Against the backdrop of the now famous bus strike, there have been efforts under taken by the following parties The Singapore Government c eaching on all parties to voice their grievances through the appropriate channel and a flurry of measures adopted by SMRT in response to public and government sentiment. Whilst the re action at laws and actions undertaken after the strike are laudable, one cant help but express concern that the underlying issues of wages, role players living conditions and a clear lack of communication channels amid all germane(predicate) parties have surfaced only via the drastic action of a strike. Indeed, all parties involved have to clearly bounce on the events of the past week and do their utmost to preserve future occurrences of such incidents.Complacency pose inCiting how strikes would affect workforce productivity a nd deter potential investors, the Singapore Government has long taken a dim view towards strikes and strikes have been few and far in the midst of throughout the annals of Singapores history. This has and still must be the key driving policy A zero border towards illegal strikes. In an attempt to maintain the welfare of general workers in Singapore, the National Union handle Congress, businesses and National Employers Federation had been established. Tripartism was vaunted as the the way to progress and to cultivate the symbiotic relationship between businesses, employers and employees.Indeed, the system of tripartism saw much success till the early 2000s where there were troubling signs of self-satis positionion countersinkting in and cracks slowly but surely emerging from the system. This was further compounded by the fact that there was a massive influx of opposed workers as the Government sought to open its doors to foreigners to increase economic growth.It would be nave t o conceive that the strikes were one-off actions or actions taken by an irrational group of foreign workers. Conversely, it is clear that the issues stemming from the strike ie. low wages, poor living conditions, lack of proper communication channels between businesses and employees alongside with an inability to manage the influx of foreign workers were long fooln. Therefore, it is illustrative that complacency had long set in between the relevant parties and the event of a strike or any forms of dramatic action were only a matter of time.An overall reflectionWhilst I am in unequivocal arranging that a firm stance should be undertaken against the workers for taking the law into their own hands, there must be similar punishments meted out to SMRT as intumesce for failing to take into account the welfare of its foreign workers and to take care as a strong deterrent for businesses not to mistreat its workers.When profits should not be at all costsIt has been a long accepted norm i n Singapore that a caller-up should be primarily judged on its financial realizeance and has a responsibility to its multitude of stakeholders for fulfilling that responsibility. Nonetheless, the profit at all costs model has come under siege and this is inherently inferred from none other than SMRT. family between grow at all costs and severe ramifications Admittedly, it would be an uphill task to draw a direct co-relationship between pursuing profits at all costs and the recent atomic pile of events that had besieged SMRT. Having said that, one can look no further than how the incidents of trains breakage down referable to inadequate maintenance and the recent uproar over wages of workers seem to connote some conclusions close a continual focus on increasing profit margins each draw.Statistics have shown that the under the advance of then SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa, profits at SMRT had saw a steady increase quarter after quarter and everyone (from savvy investors, government and the general public) were duly impressed. However, the aftermath of the slew of incidents that have occurred (MRTs breaking down due to improper maintenance / lack of empathy for staff as evident by the strike) suggested that all was not well in the quest for grow and profit at all costs. How SMRT should not hold out away with a mere slap on the wristIt is indicative that all is not well at SMRT. There is a clear lack of communication between its staff, the upper echelons of the organization and a lack of distinctive and definitive direction being undertaken. Clearly, SMRT needs a wake-up call and the onus is on the Government to adopt a hardline stance against the company. Whilst some commentators have suggested heavy fines, I am of the belief that more drastic measures needs to be undertaken in the form of the government stepping in to perform the role of the company or possible suspensions in operations of the firm if the need arises. There would needfully be some trade -off s in the form of services being affected in the picayune term but it would send a strong message to SMRT to step up or be replaced entirely either by the government or in the form of another private company. airstream of the strikeIn sum, the recent strike has revealed the stress points of tripartism and the relevant parties would do well to address them to prevent such a scenario from happening in the foreseeable future. With swift action being undertaken against the perpetrators of the strike, one cant help but wonder whether SMRT should similarly be punished or be allowed to take away scot free?