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INTRO
Four Chinese bus drivers charged for their roles in a rare strike in Singapore have been asked to decide whether to plead guilty or claim trial by next week.
Their decision may result in either a lighter penalty, or months of legal procedures before sentencing.
The four bus drivers were arrested last November with another driver, who was already sentenced to six weeks in jail.
They were among 171 Chinese bus drivers who stayed away from work on Nov. 26 last year, protesting unequal pay rises by local public transport operator SMRT - which saw their Malaysian counterparts, paid more.
The four drivers were released on bail weeks later - although it's not known who paid their bail.
The four are charged with conspiracy to instigate an illegal strike, which carries a maximum penalty of a fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars, or more than 1600 U.S. dollars, with or without a year in jail.
The prosecution made an offer in January, reducing the charges from instigating an illegal strike to participation.
If they agree to plead guilty on that, they may face 7 to 14 weeks in jail.
It is understood that right now, all the four are inclined to claim trial.
If so, the legal procedures can drag on for months.
The lawyer of one of the drivers said the dates for the trial are expected to be set at the next pre-trial conference on Feb. 8.
This means the drivers have to make their decision before that date.
The strike was the first in decades in Singapore, where laws have make it very difficult to have a legal strike, especially in public service industries.
To be continued...
