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 May 1955 : 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 :)
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