Two Chinese crane operators staged a protest at a construction site on Thursday in Singapore in the second protest involving Chinese citizens in two weeks.

The workers, reportedly demanding payment of back wages before their return to China, perched themselves on top of separate cranes before agreeing to come down after hours of negotiations with rescuers, AFP reported.

Meanwhile, four Chinese bus drivers charged with instigating an illegal strike in Singapore were granted bail on Thursday.

The drivers told the judge that they all wanted to get lawyers to represent them when they appeared before the Subordinate Court on Thursday morning.

Three of them, who face charges of instigating an illegal strike, were granted bail of S$10,000 ($8,197) each, while He Junling, the other driver who faces an additional charge of inciting an illegal strike, was granted bail of S$20,000.

The drivers told the judge that they were not able to raise the money.

Liu Xiangying, one of the four drivers, stepped out of the building of the Subordinate Court on Thursday afternoon.

The judge said the case will be heard on December 12.

A total of 171 Chinese bus drivers took medical leave on November 26 in protest against inequitable pay rises by local public transport operator SMRT, and 88 of them stayed away from work the following day.

Five drivers were soon arrested and charged, while 29 others had their work permits revoked and were deported to China. Bao Fengshan, one of the five drivers, was sentenced to six weeks in jail on Monday. He was not represented by a lawyer and pleaded guilty.

If convicted, the four drivers will face a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars, or a maximum imprisonment of 12 months, or both on each charge.

The Singapore government has reiterated its policy of "zero tolerance for illegal strikes" and Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin has described the drivers' action as an illegal strike.

Industrial actions have been rare in Singapore over the past decades as the authorities put in place measures that allow consultations involving the workers, the employers and the government, while at the same time putting in place legal rules that make it as difficult as possible to hold a strike legally.

Agencies