With No Statutory Benefits, the Working Conditions of a Taxi Driver is Horrible!

I am writing this article in response to our "Paper General" MOM minister's official statement in parliament highlighting the alleged average earnings of taxiDrivers(TD) , or $3,173 monthly for single shift and $5,933 for double shift TDs.

A “self-employed” entity

I've been a TD for the past 6 years, ever since my "early retirement" (nice way of asking u to resign) at age 45 from my managerial post. Yes, by now I am quite used to the hellish routine of driving 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. As u all know, us TDs are considered “self-employed persons”, which actually means that we TDs are considered like a business entity or sole-proprietorship. In other words, TDs are not “employees” as defined by the Employment Act. Rather, we are running our own business, earning money from our “profits” , pay our own taxes ,licence fees, insurance , and all other biz expenses. Yes even our own Medisave contributions need to pay in cash to IRAS,failing which, no renewal ofvTaxi Licence . So all TDs hv not a single statutory benefit by law ie. No sick leave, no CPF, no paid annual ,medical coverage or public holidays.

The Rental System with the Taxi Companies

As explained above, TDs pay for everything on our own so even if u get the flu and need to go to govt polyclinic for medication & gets an MC, u still pay rental to the taxi cos such as Comfort Delgro and SMRT. Because we are all contracted to the Taxi Companies, we act somewhat like their employees in some sense but instead of they (Taxi Co) paying us, we pay them with no quarter given!. So we TDs are self-employed persons, working for the Taxi Companies via our rental contract , acting like their employees because we rent their taxis to earn profit out of the earnings we make. Now u know why you see the TD always behaving like madmen, driving like there is no time to lose and always looking so uptight & disgruntled! Yes Time is certainly Money to us TDs bec if we cannot make enough to cover our daily overheads,e -stop against the TD.we don’t even get to eat and actually lose money to the taxi co.

Worse than Bangla worker!

As a self-employed person with no statutory benefits , yes indeed us TDs are enduring working conditions that are worse than your average bangla Worker. Let me explain why?. To the bangla worker, he is at least covered under the Employment Act, unlike us! This means the employer cannot force the Bangla to work more than 6 or 8 hours continuously without a break of at least 45 mins. Doing so to him with be considered inhumane as dictated under the guidelines by the International Labour Organization. But not so for a TD, even if he had to drive incessantly for 15 hours straight, gets so fatigued that he unknowingly falls asleep at the wheel and crash into a lamp-post of traffic light. Worse still, he not only gotta pay for damages to his vehicle but will also be charged in Court and make to pay for damages to Public Property by LTA and even probably lose his licence!

Of course, the Bangla works only 8 hours a day and up to 44.5 hours a week , after which is entitled to Overtime pay. A bangla worker is also entitled to a minimum of One rest day a week, 14 days outpatient sick leave and up to 60 days with hospitalisation, 11 public holidays and a minimum of 7 days annual leave for his 1st year of service. In some instances, some lucky ones may even get incentive payments like 13th month bonuses. Also, a bangla worker cannot work more than 72 hours of overtime in any single month and If he works on Public Holiday or on his Rest Days, up to extra 2 days salary must be paid to him. 

In contrast, the TD works everyday since he is self-employed. According to our illustrious MOM Minister, a TD can earn $3,173 monthly when he works 12 hours a day and 7 days a week. To break this down further, this means a TD have to work an 84 –hr week or 365 hours a month (365 days/12 x 12) in order to earn that gross monthly income of $3,173, which this MOM Minister claims. Compare this to the Bangla worker on a 44.5 hour week, the TD essentially works some some 121.6 hours of overtime every month ! However, since TDs are self-employed with no statutory benefits like OT or Annual Leave, so come rain or shine, floods, haze, thunderstorms or SARs, the TD still gotta work everyday in order to earn that magical $3,173 every month! 

But $3,173 a month (or $5,933 a month for double shift) is very high pay?

I guess this is what our great MOM Minister is trying to imply when he suddenly highlighted this statistic in Parliament recently. Personally, I am actually quite doubtful but since our dear Minister has clarified that the $3,173 figures is based on a single shift TD working 12 hours a days & 7 days a week was calculated based on all taximeter readings, then it must be true la.! But I bet my bottom dollar that our dear Minister failed to take into account of the fact that many older TDs (the veteran Taxiuncles) are actually grateful to earn only $30-$50 per shift as these TDs are more in retirement mode and drives for only pocket money. In addition, there is the prevalence of many Part-timers in our Industry who only drive 2 days per week or only on weekends!

But if one truly can have the energy to drive 12 hours everyday from Mon to Sun, then he surely must be able to earn this amount ($3,173). However, this figure do not take into account for daily petrol and diesel costs, car wash , season car park charges and other incidentals like paying traffic fines, accidents & minor repairs. I can tell u that all TDs normally pray very hard that we don’t get into accidents or incur too many traffic fines & demerit points but being on the roads that many hours, this is sometimes unavoidable.

As for the other advertised figure of $5,933 earnings for double shift, it is IMHO that this is only possible if the TD is a superhuman !(perhaps there are many superhumans living amongst the 56,000 TDs in Spore!)