Tower Transit has announced a pay raise of 3.5% for Bus Captains and all staff covered under its agreement with the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU). The increment will take effect starting May 2016 and will benefit more than 900 employees of Tower Transit including Bus Captains currently driving the 26 services being taken over by the company from 29 May.

Tower Transit announced its first annual increment to staff yesterday after coming to an agreement with the NTWU. The increment is based on national wage data and will mean that Tower Transit’s staff wages keep pace with the cost of living in Singapore.

“By pegging our annual wage adjustments to national wage data, and keeping it separate from performance incentives, we’re making sure all of our staff’s wages keep in step with the cost of living in Singapore. We believe this fits in nicely with the SkillsFuture Sectoral Manpower Plan for the Public Bus Industry to attract and retain Bus Captains,” said Andrew Bujtor, MD, Tower Transit.

A junior Bus Captain at Tower Transit will now receive a basic monthly salary of $1,930. With overtime and incentives, this will translate to about S$3,440 and up per month.

NTWU Executive Secretary, Melvin Yong said, “The National Transport Workers’ Union is satisfied with the outcome of the wage increment negotiation, which is a result of close consultations between the union and the Tower Transit management. Besides helping our workers cope with the cost of living, the increment also serves to keep their wages competitive. This will be an important component as we work towards building a strong Singaporean Core in our growing public bus industry.”