Hock Lee Bus & SCMSSU Riots

Why did the riot happen? 
On April 23, 1955, workers from the Singapore Bus Workers Union(SBWU) began to go on strike. They were  protesting against poor working conditions, long work hours and low pay. With a retaining fee of $2 per day paid on condition that they joined this rival union..They also felt threatened by a rival union which was supported by the bus company to counter any labor action by SBWU. 

When and how did it happen? 
 In April 1995, the workers gathered at the company 's depot in Alexandra and sat in font of the gate to prevent the buses from leaving the garage and crippled the city's entire transport system.
Students from the Chinese middle school came in lorries, and joined the strikers in a show of support. They organised donation drives, brought food and money, and even entertained the workers with songs and dances.
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. Fire hoses were used to disperse the strikers.

Twenty lorry loads of Chinese school students joined the rioting strikers. These lorry loads of students were well-organised and converged at the bus company from schools all over Singapore. A mob of 2,000 rioters attacked police,the viciousness of the violence was attributed to the SBWU being communist-inspired. A Chinese student who was shot by the British police was paraded around for two and a half hours to whip up emotions. He died on the way to hospital. 

What happened after the riot? 
On 14 May 1955, the Hock Lee Bus strike came to an end. The 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.