A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work

Foreign labour in Singapore: One strike and you're out

economist.com 29 Nov '12, 12pm

A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work

SO RARE is industrial action in Singapore that the government and press seem to be hazy about the vocabulary. When 171 bus drivers employed by SMRT, a government-owned firm, refused to go to work on November 26th and staged a sit-in at their dormitory, the Straits Times , a pro-government daily, termed it an “action”, “protest”, “episode” and “wage dispute”. Only later was the “s” word dragged out of the dictionary. After dozens of drivers stayed away from work for a second day, the front-page headline on November 28th was: “Govt moves against illegal strike.” “Mr Brown”, a local blogger , noticing the reluctance to call a stoppage a strike, asked his Twitter followers for suggestions for other options. Among the ideas were “unhappy gathering”, “disgruntled sit-in” and, in a dig at the government’s much-touted effort to reconnect with its people, “the national bus drivers’...

Full article: http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2012/11/foreign-lab...

Tweets

@TheCheekonomist » 01 Dec '12, 9pm
A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word because they liked Ingapore more. [link]
@RyanUtan » 30 Nov '12, 4am
Foreign labour in Singapore: One strike and you're out | The Economist [link] (via Instapaper)
@queenchong » 29 Nov '12, 7pm
One strike and you're out. I like the title. “@TheEconomist: [link]”
@melpig » 29 Nov '12, 2pm
RT @avalon: In case you still needed convincing, The Economist calls Shit Times a pro-government daily. [link]
@RAMEN_IKEMEN » 29 Nov '12, 2pm
Straits Times is "a pro-government daily". Not surprised there~ [link]
@liangkaixin » 29 Nov '12, 1pm
The economist talks about our strike and mrbrown. [link]
@avalon » 29 Nov '12, 1pm
In case you still needed convincing, The Economist calls Shit Times a pro-government daily. [link]
@greatone505 » 29 Nov '12, 1pm
Economist's article on the strikes. Funny! [link]”
@WeichangLAI » 29 Nov '12, 1pm
Oh god. “@TheEconomist: A daily in Sg reluctant to use the "s" word when a grp of bus drivers refused to go to work [link]”
@AR_Hobbs » 29 Nov '12, 1pm
There's an anti-government daily? “@TheEconomist: A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant ... [link]”
@tevanraj » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
Ahem2"@TheEconomist:pro-government daily in Singapore reluctant to use the "s" word when groupbus drivers refusedwork [link]
@CarnagaeA » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go towork [link]
@bingquanx » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
@mrbrown you are quoted on the economist website!!!! [link]
@TheSoliloguy » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
We're FAMOUS!- A pro-government daily in Sg reluctant to use the "s" word when bus drivers refused to go to work [link]
@fivetwosix » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
Haha. RT @TheEconomist: A pro-govt daily in Spore was reluctant to use the "s" word when .. bus drivers refused to work [link]
@ludditus » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
Singapore: the last “illegal” strike in 1980. Since then, no strike, but “action”, “protest”, “episode”, “wage dispute” [link]
@raeesahkh » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
RT @TheEconomist: A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work [link]
@TheEconomist » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work [link]
@mikel_calderon » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
RT @TheEconomist: A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work [link]
@n_izzah » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
RT @TheEconomist: A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work [link]
@m_alkamali » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the"s"word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work [link]"
@CMECPOperator » 29 Nov '12, 12pm
RT @TheEconomist: A pro-government daily in Singapore was reluctant to use the "s" word when a group of bus drivers refused to go to work [link]