What we discuss in the group meeting
First meeting 1 September 1.30 pm to 3 pm We went through all the sources and sorted them out. Continue our research on the sources by the next meeting.We finished all our sources that day.We found out how the people suffered and the unfair treatment.We explore more about how the Hock Lee Bus riot started. We also discussed how the new government had to tackle the challenges posed by a strengthened Communist movement which organised regular industrial disputes and strikes. One strike that turned violent was the Hock Lee Bus strike. The Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company was one of several small bus companies operating in Singapore in the 1950s. The bus workers belonged to two unions, Singapore Bus Workers Union and Hock Lee Employee's Union. Finally, we also discussed how the country and the people were affected by the riot and how the riot affect its country development in the future.
Second meeting 7 September 2014 1 pm to 3.30 pm
Discussion question: Why should we remember
the hock lee bus riots?
Well it served as a lesson for the people.
The people under circumstances will not go on a strike unless it is really
necessary as they might have the possibility of losing their job and might even
be jailed or fined. What I feel that caused the strike is because the hock lee
bus company didn't handle it well and enrage the people thus from a strike it
turned into a riot.Also, we saw that life was unfair in the past, those who were Chinese educated were not treated fairly as those who were English educated, such that even with the same qualifications and positions in a company, the Chinese educated worker would be paid lesser than the English educated worker. The government also funded the English schools more than the Chinese schools, with Chung Cheng being one of them in the past.David Marshall tried to hep but people misunderstood him and thought he was against them.
Similarities 1)Both sources are similar in that they both show that the workers of the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company who went on strike had people who agreed that they were not treated fairly. Source A states that “Joined by supporters and Chinese middle school students, these strikers picketed the bus depot and disrupted bus services.” Source B states that “To support these workers, more than 10,000 students from Chinese schools have arrived day after day in lorries.” These Sources tell us that the public were also against the company and wanted to aid the workers in attempting to get a raise through a strike. 2)Both sources are similar in that David Marshall attempted to ease the problem and tried to stop the riot. Source A states that “Marshall persuaded the management to offer to reinstate the workers and a Court of Inquiry presided by District Judge F. A. Chua was appointed to look into the circumstances of the dispute.” and“However, Fong, the secretary of the SBWU, said he had signed the agreement without the consent of the general workers and backed out of the agreement.” Source B states that “Chief Minister David Marshall attempted to settle the dispute between the bus company and the union by setting up a Commission of Inquiry. However, both parties failed to reach an agreement.” This Source shows that Marshall tried to let the workers get their jobs back in order to calm the tension between the company and the workers, but ultimately failed as they were not able to come to terms with the issue.
3)Both sources are similar in the number of victims of the riot
Source A:"four deaths and 31 people injured." Source B:"Four people were killed and 31 injured." This shows that both have the same number of victims and the the causalities of the riot.
Differences
1)Sources A and B are different in mentioning the method of controlling the rioters by the police.
Source A states that “Police were called in to disperse the crowds and resorted to using water jets when warnings failed.”
This tells us that the authorities did not resort to violence and used harmless methods of controlling the workers who were rioting at that time.
Source B states that “The police had to use batons in order to clear the crowd and as a result, 15 people were injured.”
This tell us that the law enforcement agency deliberately wanted to cause harm to the rioters, with the use of batons. They had used physical violence in order to dissolve the mob, contrary to the previous method.
As such, sources A and B are different in telling us how the police dealt with the rioters, with them using water jets in Source A and using batons in Source B.
2)Sources A and B are different in the outcome of the workers during the aftermath of the Hock Lee Bus Riots.
Source A states that “In late May, Gamba ruled in favour of the SBWU. As a result, 85 out of 170 workers of the dissolved Hock Lee Bus Employees’ Union lost their jobs.”
This tells us that only half of the workers were given their contracts back, with the other half losing their livelihoods.
Source B states that “The Strike came to an end on 14 May 1955. The sacked workers got their jobs back.”
This tell us that all the workers were able to return to their daily routine of providing bus services.
As such, Sources A and B are different in stating the number of workers who were able to get their jobs back.
Friday, 29 August 2014
Reflection From this history project and research, we've learnt about the differences in society in the past and present. It was very different during the 60's. People did not have equal rights and were not treated fairly due to language, race and religion. We learnt that it is important to work together as one and that everyone deserves equal treatment.Through the Hock Lee bus riots, we can see that it is mostly due to the different views of various groups of people that results in riots. As the workers of the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company were unwilling to compromise , they resorted to fighting for their own rights.With the example of David Marshall and his political dispute with the other members of parliament including the British, we can learn that trust and respect is a very important thing. As the British did not trust David Marshall, they turned his idea down as they did not trust him and did not believe in his abilities, in what he could really do. For instance, if they had trust among themselves, there might be more possibilities in their partnership and the ideas that David Marshall had might also be carried out, leading a better future for Singapore. They also did not respect Marshall very much, as they thought he was against them.From the Hock Lee bus riots, we learnt that the life of the workers were tough as they had to work for very long and tiring hours just to get a minimal pay every month to support themselves. Also, we saw that life was unfair in the past, those who were Chinese educated were not treated fairly as those who were English educated, such that even with the same qualifications and positions in a company, the Chinese educated worker would be paid lesser than the English educated worker. The government also funded the English schools more than the Chinese schools, with Chung Cheng being one of them in the past. The bus drivers were not respected as well, when they asked for more pay and better living conditions, they were just bluntly ignored hence causing the loss of 4 lives and many injured in the resulting riot.
Hock lee bus riots is one of the earliest riots happened after Singapore gain independence.What has been long lacking in Singapore history is social history, in this case a history of the Hock Lee Bus riots that explores the needs, worldviews and lives of workers. They resort to strike only when material conditions were bad enough and no alternative recourse was available, because a strike was a risky act that entailed the loss of income and possibly the job.It is necessary to remember the hock lee bus riots as it serve as a lesson for us.After the incident,many lives were lost and destruction caused.Police will learn how to handle the case if (hopefully not) such cases happened again.The strikers were caught up in a riot that they did not want because of the circumstances and tensions of the times.Ultimately riot happened because the bus company refused to recognize the legitimate grievances of the workers and refused to negotiate...so riot.Thus,hock lee bus company must be fair and negotiate to have a happy ending.A lesson learnt, blood shed,destruction caused,lives gone.All of this is now history.Hopefully, history will not repeat itself all over again.
Friday, 22 August 2014
Hock Lee Bus Riots
The Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company was one of the several small bus companies operating in Singapore in the 1950s. The bus workers belonged to two unions, Singapore Bus Workers Union (SBWN) and Hock Lee's Employee Union. Reasons for strike Since early 1955, left-wing trade unions began to organise workers, and used militant methods to obtain increased wages and improved working conditions for employees. In February 1955, 250 workers of the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company joined the Singapore Bus Workers’ Union (SBWU) led by trade unionist Fong Swee Suan, the secretary of the union.
On 24 March 1955, about 100 Hock Lee drivers and conductors took the day off when their management refused to grant them leave to attend a SBWU meeting. The company viewed the incident as a case of mass resignation by the workers and hired workers from its own employees’ union to continue bus services. In April 1955, the workers from SBWU went on strike for better pay and working conditions. As a result, the Hock Lee Bus Company dismissed 229 workers.
The strike On 25 and 26 April, the sacked Hock Lee workers arrived at the company’s bus depot at Alexandra Road.They stopped each bus as it left and tried to persuade the crew to stop work in sympathy to their cause. Despite police intervention, the workers continued picketing the major bus stops. On 27 April, the workers continued to block the gate of the bus depot by forming a human barrier. They refused to move despite repeated warnings. The police then used batons to disperse the crowds resulting in 15 people injured. The police action generated sympathy for the workers. Eight hundred SBWU members employed by other companies stopped work between 10 am and 2 pm on that day to protest against “police bullying”.
The workers also received support from large groups of sympathisers and Chinese students from Chinese High School, as well as the Chung Cheng High School and its branch school.They demonstrated their support by bringing food and entertaining the workers with songs and dances.Among the supporters were agitators who used loud speakers to make fiery speeches and incite the crowds to oppose the police.To avoid further clashes between the police and picketers, bus services along River Valley Road, Tiong Bahru Road and Alexandra Road and other routes served by the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company were suspended.
Chief Minister David Marshall attempted to settle the dispute between the bus company and the union by setting up a Commission of Inquiry. However, both parties failed to reach an agreement. This made the bus workers continued their protests.
The strike grew. Workers from six other companies joined in. The police was called in by the government. Fire hoses were used to control them. Tensions reached a climax on 12 May 1955 and so... riots.
The riot On 12 May, the strike escalated into a riot. That morning, police again used water hoses to disperse demonstrators, but this time the crowd retaliated by throwing bricks and stones at the police. As the police observed large numbers of workers and students being organised and sent to the Alexandra Road area, they established road blocks to cordon off the “danger area”. They hoped to prevent reinforcements from swelling the crowd in that area.
The victims
The riot resulted in four people dead and 31 people injured. Corporal Andrew Teo Bok Lan of the Volunteer Special Constabulary was beaten to death and his car overturned and burned. Detective Corporal Yuen Yau Pang died from injuries sustained after the vehicle he was in was similarly attacked.Other victims included American press correspondent Gene Symonds and a 16-year-old Chinese student, Chong Lon Chong, who suffered a gunshot wound. It was believed that the student had been paraded around for several hours before he was sent to the hospital. By then, it was too late for his life to be saved. What happened after the riots
The bus riot had finally came to an end, at 3am on the next day. 12 May 1955 was thus known as 'Black Thursday' in Singapore's history.The sacked workers got their job back,pay were restored and they declared victory for their action. The then Chief Minister of Singapore, David Marshall, took advantage of this change of opinion and took action. He expelled student leaders involved in the rioting and closed down two schools where the most students had been involved. The students were defiant. On 16 May 1955, about two thousand students forced their way into the two schools. Anxious parents, friends and supporters came daily to give students food, clothing. The British authorities were critical of Marshall for not taking tougher actions towards the rioters and strikers. They would later reject his proposal for independence in 1956, claiming that the local government was not able to manage internal security, and as a result Marshall would resign.
A simple comic to wrap up the whole blog
Overall
Timeline
29 April 1955: Thousands of Chinese middle school students converged to support the strikers with food and entertainment.
30 April 1955: On the eve of May Day, sympathy strikes spread to other unions affiliated to the Middle Road Group. Dock workers stopped the transportation of freight and passengers, threatening the economic life-line of Singapore.
9 May 1955 : Negotiations between the bus company and the SBWU broke down and the police were ordered to take all necessary action to clear the picket-lines for the passage of buses.
10 -12 May 1955: Rioting broke out. Twenty lorry loads of Chinese school students joined the rioting strikers and 17 more were intercepted by the police. A mob of 2,000 rioters attacked police and committed vicious acts of violence. A Chinese police officer was doused with petrol and burnt alive, while a Chinese student who was shot by the British police was paraded around for two and a half hours to whip up emotions.
13 May 1955 : By 3:00 am., the rioting had subsided although island-wide strike of bus workers continued.14 May1955 : A government arbitrator negotiated a settlement between the Hock Lee Bus Company and the SBWU in which the pre-strike rosters were restored. Normal bus services resumed on 16 May 1955.
Aftermath
4 people were killed and 31 injured
Links of the sources
Source 1:http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_4_2005-01-06.html Source 2:http://coordinativecolonel.blogspot.sg/2014/08/hock-lee-bus-riots.html Source 3:http://www.channelnewsasia.com/tv/tvshows/daysofrage/hocklee Source 4:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj1lAiliDiAjBnUvPoihU1c8v3bnIWjbRxJR5SGktA6eT4tgZUQrr4cJC5EF7yvyVIbnIANXAxVoe28cnmkrL0wtwNQZHVF3g3XuazeEuhDrBInW9-4dyETUIJzPCdymLR3nZrk3Bt7Ev7pdryUXljcsxUcHjFmKXZ-Lwxxp5VDF418NZQdUGi_K3KqBAIVyxoIGfLH= Source 5:https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS46-SiqoOv2WvoaUDO1GLD5AtQFj12vX23mO4Et8VMZSxI7bsY Source 6:https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSTUsZeF6CIAoO_ph35HOHdDVhrG8ifZxthssHYyvP6tQacoaUq Source 7:http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb111/atobe-album/HockLeeBusCo-Policemakingarrests.jpg Source 8:http://s3.amazonaws.com/stripgenerator/strip/27/83/04/00/00/full.png VIDEO REFERENCES:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH4gBBB_rFA The short video to show how David Marshall tried to help preventing the riot and the dilemma David Marshall faced. A short summary of the riot .Links above.~enjoy~
There you have it the blog on hock lee bus riots.Hope you like it :) ALL CREDITS GO TO INFOPEDIA AND COLONEL
