bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

In talks with their employer yesterday, Kowloon Motor Bus drivers  lowered their demand for  a pay rise to 4 per cent  after initially demanding between 5 and 7.5 per cent.

But the threat of a  strike  still hangs over commuters' heads as KMB remained firm  in offering only a 2 per cent  increase.

Under mediation by Labour Department officers, the bus operator yesterday proposed a one-off special bonus of HK$250 on top of the 2 per cent rise.

Chung Kin-wah, deputy director of the KMB branch of the Motor Transport Workers' General Union,   said  this was unacceptable.

'What do we need that HK$250 for? We want an improvement  in our pay scale, not a one-off bonus.'

Mr Chung said the union had agreed to lower its demand for a pay rise to 4 per cent after consulting members.

The union polled more than 2,000 drivers at six bus terminuses this month and most considered a 4 per cent  rise to be their bottom line.

KMB will consider the drivers' requests over the weekend  and give its response on Monday.

'We will consult our members again before deciding on the next step if the employer does not give us a satisfactory answer,' Mr Chung said.

Earlier this week, the union  told a news conference that although drivers had enjoyed annual pay rises over the past two years, their actual total  remuneration was less than that of six years ago as a result of a reduction in their working hours and benefits.



Bus strike looms as KMB rigid on pay