Bus Captain's Grievance - Rest-Off-day, Weekends and Public Holidays

Work day is not normal, it is beyond normal

Rest day, Off Day

In Singapore, the Employment Act governing the requirement for granting rest day to a worker is clear. Simply put, in a 7 day calendar week; I will be given a day-off after working for 6 continuous days.

However, this rule can be modified technically, and on several occasion; I have to work continuously for more than 10 days without a single rest day. I am not complaining; and I can accept it as part of the game for this public transport industry.

Not only that, your rest day can be stretched to 12 days of continuous working; my exact off day is also no known. It can only be made known when will be my off day about 10 calendar days in advance.  

Usually, I will be given a two (2) days of rest or off-day; whenever, I have to work more than 8 continuously days.

For the last two years, I have not sign up to work on my rest day, as OT. Working on rest day, will entitled me to a double pay rate. Initially, the rostering supervisor did request me, to work on my rest-day. However, after I have declined him for 3 occasions; now he no longer bothers to call me anymore, and I am thankful for that.

Rest day is now very Special to me.

This is the only day; that I can officially will not be touching the bus steering wheel; and just hang loose at home doing household chores and do some marketing for the family. Since my wife is smaller size built than myself; I usually will do the heavy marketing stuff of rice, washing powder, bleach, etc. The extra muscle that my right hand now is been built; do come in handy, and in one go, I can carry much more load than previously only with my left hand.

Weekends

I have to kiss and say goodbye to some  100 days of Saturday and Sunday weekends. For Last Thirty Years, working in the normal office environment, has made me complacent and oblivious to what is the actual operational function of the public transport industry is like.

I am prepared to work 5.5 days or 6 days per week. However, I  was expecting to have a Sunday as rest day or off day that I can spend some quality time with my family and parents. Again, I was caught with my pants down here; I am just too naive to this public transport service industry.

What clouded my perception is that, even during the first 3 months of training; I was fortunate and still enjoying Sunday as off-day. Somehow, I concluded that, even when I am on revenue-able service as a BC; I will also be given similar Sunday; as off-day or rest-day. I was dead wrong with my expectation and assumption here. I now no longer entitled to any automatic weekend off day.

Working on Sunday, will not be a double pay rate !. 

Public Holidays

On 9/11 GE 2015, I was working on 1^st Duty Number Service that starts at 0507hr from Woodlands Depot to Changi Airport on bus service 858.

In view of operational needs, the rostering supervisor; aka MCWO; will decide whether you will be scheduled to have a “PHO”, Public Holiday Off-day; or even have to work on Chinese Lunar New Year for that matter!

Working on government gazetted public holiday; will automatically entitled me to a double pay rate.