KMB, Drivers' Group In Stand-off Over Pay Talks

A group of KMB drivers threatened industrial action as they camped outside the bus operator's headquarters on Monday evening, demanding that the management talk to them as a dispute over pay rises escalated.

About 30 members of the newly formed Monthly-Paid Bus Drivers' Alliance vowed to stay outside the KMB headquarters in Kowloon Bay until the management agreed to meet them.

If there was no response from KMB by 2am, they would take further action, said leader of the alliance, Yip Wai-lam. But she did not specify what kind of action they had in mind.

A four-hour strike by Ip and a few others on Saturday did not cause much interruption and was ended after the management agreed to talk.

But the scheduled meeting between Yip and KMB on Monday afternoon was cancelled after the management said they were only ready to talk to her as an individual driver, and not as the representative of the alliance.

A management spokesman told a radio programme that they were ready to meet all the 1,000 members the alliance claims to have, but as individuals.

The alliance wants monthly salaries to be raised to HK$18,000, instead of the HK$15,000 the bus operator announced last week.

The Transport Secretary, Frank Chan, said he hoped KMB would solve the dispute properly.

Working conditions at KMB have come under scrutiny recently following a spate of bus accidents, including a crash in Tai Po this month which left 19 people dead.

Critics say drivers work long shifts without enough rest, which puts passengers at risk. Unions also say poor pay is failing to attract fresh talent to the industry.