Singapore’s first labor protest since the 1980s led to the deportation of 29 Chinese bus drivers yesterday and the prosecution of five others, highlighting the difficulty balancing a work force reliant on foreign employees. More than 170 bus drivers failed to report for duty on Nov. 26, while 88 halted work the next day, according to SMRT Corp. (MRT), Singapore’s biggest subway operator and one of its two main bus companies. The striking workers, all from China, were unhappy with their salary increments and raised concerns about living conditions, SMRT said. The deportations and strike show the perceived inequality ... (full story)