News of the no-show incident became a topic of hot discussion on social media. Singapore has had few no-show or strikes over the past decades.
The Ministry of Manpower said in a statement that it took the workers' actions very seriously and that it was looking into the matter. Labor relations officers from the ministry were at the site during negotiations.
The Chinese Embassy in Singapore said it has been in close contact with Singapore authorities over the incident.
The National Transport Workers' Union said the union could not represent the affected workers as they were not union members. It urged the workers involved to return to work immediately and added that the union was prepared to help in negotiations between SMRT management and the workers if both parties welcomed its involvement.
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