In Parliament: LMPs Raise Issues of Transport Workers Protection and Inclusive Workplaces

Parliament, which reconvened on 28 November 2022, saw Labour Members of Parliament raising their concerns and sharing their views on the more recent happenings in Singapore.

Issues raised include matters affecting point-to-point (P2P) and bus drivers to the decision to repeal section 377A. Here are the highlights.

28 November 2022

Road Traffic Rule 39(1) Protects Both Passengers and P2P Drivers

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be working with tripartite partners to review the rule which requires P2P drivers to check their vehicles for items left behind by passengers, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor.

Rule 39(1) of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Vocational Licences and Conduct of Drivers, Conductors, Trishaw Riders and Passengers) Rules currently states that drivers who fail to do so will be deemed to have committed an offence.

NTUC U SME and Women & Family (WAF) Unit Director Yeo Wan Ling proposed for the LTA to conduct more public education campaigns to let passengers and drivers know that both parties have a role to play in safeguarding personal property.

Dr Khor agreed with Ms Yeo’s proposal and said that the authority will look at how it can better encourage best practices when it comes to ownership of personal belongings.

Dr Khor added that rule 39(1) does not only look after the interests of commuters but drivers as well.

“It is meant to serve the interests of drivers as it aims to avoid disputes when passengers leave belonging in their [the drivers’] vehicles,” she said.

The issue came to light after LTA recently issued a P2P driver a warning letter for failing to check his vehicle for belongings left behind by a passenger.

LTA has since withdrawn the letter after it was approached by the National Taxi Association (NTA) and National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) for clarification.

LTA will share the outcome of the review when ready.

28 November 2022

Bus Captains Deserve a Safe Workplace

Tripartite partners take a firm position against physical and verbal abuse of bus captains. Abusers will face serious consequences, including jail time, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat.

He was responding to NTUC Assistant Secretaries-General Desmond Choo and Melvin Yong, who asked about the number of cases of bus-captain abuse, penalties against abusers and the Government’s plan to improve bus-driver protection.

Mr Chee shared that there were 28 reported abuse cases in 2018, 52 in 2019, 50 in 2020, and 35 in 2021. To date, there have been 27 reported cases in 2022.

He said: “Perpetrators may be prosecuted for offences under Protection from Harassment Act and be liable on conviction for an imprisonment of up to 12 months or fines of up to $5,000.

“They could also be charged for voluntarily causing hurt under the Penal Code, which carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, or fines of up to $5,000, or both.”

Previously, public transport operators piloted the use of protective barriers in 2018 and 2020. However, bus captains said that the glare from the barriers posed a safety risk.

In his supplementary question, Mr Yong asked if it was timely to review the penalties meted out to abusers as it has been a while since the Government updated the penalties.

“We have zero tolerance for such abusive behaviours towards public transport workers, and if the existing measures are not adequate, we are prepared to review them,” said Mr Chee.

28 – 29 November 2022

Repeal of Section 377A – Unity and Inclusivity

NTUC Operations and Mobilisation Division Director Fahmi Aliman and NTUC Vice-President Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab spoke of unity and inclusivity during the second reading of the Minority Rights on the International Development Association (Amendment) Bill – or the repeal of Section 377A which criminalises sex between men.

The penal code has since been repealed on 29 November 2022, with 93 out of 102 members of parliament voting in favour of the amendment.

Mr Fahmi, who delivered his speech in Malay, shared that employers need to ensure that workplaces are inclusive and that they are sensitive and respectful of all employees’ differing beliefs and values.

He said: “NTUC believes that all employees should be treated fairly based on merit and should not be discriminated based on any non-job related characteristics, which may include faith or identity.”

He added that employees who choose not to attend non-job related activities that are also against their personal beliefs and faith should not be penalised.

“To better support both employers and workers in navigating workplaces in the future, I call upon the Government to consider setting guidelines or advisories that will provide clear guidance towards such activities at the workplace,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Samad called for the Government to explain the amendment so that more people would understand the change. According to Mr Samad, doing so will allow society to slowly but eventually diminish its negative perception of the repeal.

“I echo what our Prime Minster shared at the National Day Rally that we must maintain the mutual respect and trust that we have painstakingly built up over the years and stay united as one united people,” he said.

29 November 2022

Heightened Workplace Safety

Workplace fatalities fell from and average of four-and-a-half to two incidents per month following the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) mandated heightened safety period (HSP), said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad.

The numbers were given in response to NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Melvin Yong’s supplementary question on the efficacy of the HSP. He also asked if the Government will consider extending the initiative if it has indeed proven effective.

Mr Zaqy said: “HSP is still on-going. The initial outcome has slowed down the momentum of workplace fatalities, but it is still too early to say.

“Let us wait till March next year, and we will see based on the total outcome of the HSP period.”

The HSP, which commenced from 1 September 2022 and will end on 28 February 2023, was imposed by MOM in view of the rise in work-related deaths and injuries.

This year marks the highest number of workplace fatalities over the last for years, with a total of 42 cases to date.

30 November 2022

Help Ease P2P Drivers’ Transition to Electric Vehicles

NTA and NPHVA Advisor Yeo Wan Ling urged the Government to help ease private hire and taxi drivers’ transition to electric vehicles by waiving costs such as parking.

She was speaking at second reading of the Electric Vehicles Charging Bill.

While she supported the Bill and its aim of creating a greener society, she said that electric vehicles currently make up less than 5 per cent of the entire P2P fleet size (taxis and private hire vehicles).

One of the reasons she gave was the time it takes for drivers to charge their vehicle, and the additional costs that comes with having to park the vehicle for longer to fully charge the car.

She said: “In any major technological shift, it is inevitable that early adopters do not enjoy the economies of scale that later adopters enjoy and therefore bear heavier fixed costs, as well as higher running costs as a result of a nascent ecosystem.

“As we figure out how to incentivise early adopters to make the transition to electric vehicles, the last thing we want to do is disincentivise them. Therefore, I call on the Government to ease the transition of private hire and taxi drivers to electric vehicles by waiving the costs of parking in such car parks for them as they are charging their vehicles.”

The Electric Vehicles Charging Bill, which has since been passed, aims to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and to regulate electric vehicle charging.