Wage strike by bus drivers ferrying passengers across Causeway causes morning disruption

JOHOR BAHRU - An early morning strike by bus drivers ferrying passengers across the Causeway led to disruptions at Johor’s Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) immigration complex on July 21.

Johor state Works, Transportation, Infrastructure and Communication Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh confirmed that the strike involved drivers from a local bus company and took place around 6.30am.

The drivers refused to transport passengers into Singapore, but the strike concluded by 8am.

“During the strike, to ensure that travellers could continue their journey into the island republic, we arranged for other buses to transport passengers,” Mr Fazli said.

However, he acknowledged that some travellers opted to walk across the Causeway to Singapore.

The exact number of people walking or drivers involved in the strike remains unknown.

In a statement published in Malaysian media, cross-border bus operator Causeway Link said on July 21 that the service disruption lasted for about 45 minutes but had been fully resolved.

Causeway Link said the disruption arose from a “miscommunication concerning salary calculation matters with a group of drivers”, adding that the concerns have been addressed.

Mr Fazli, who is also the assemblyman for Bukit Pasir, earlier said the bus company and driver representatives have been urged to resolve their issues.

The state government has received assurances that such disruptions will not recur.

“God willing, there will not be any disruption to the bus service operation within BSI,” Mr Fazli added.

It is understood that the drivers’ protest was allegedly due to a wage cut imposed by the company, causing dissatisfaction among employees.

The bus company serves thousands of daily commuters who use public transport to travel across the Causeway between Malaysia and Singapore. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK