
‘Lucky’ crane operator earns more than $150,000
- September 20, 2021
A crane operator with the Chinese opera company Cine Opera, who has spent the past few years working in a series of major productions, was paid more than the $150-million average salary for a crane operator in Singapore.
The company said the annual salary for the crane operator at Cine Operas Siam is $1.7 million.
Mr Cai Heng, 42, was awarded a $50,000-a-year bonus after the production company’s Singapore branch was given permission to build a new crane.
The crane operator is now earning an average of $150 a month and working part-time, a CineOperas spokeswoman said.
Mr Cai said his main motivation for joining the company was to make more money.
“I want to give back to the industry, to the theatre, and the theatre is a big part of my life,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to support myself, my family and my friends.”
Mr Heng said he had no regrets about his decision to work for Cine Operator.
He said he worked on several productions in Singapore last year and had always felt comfortable in the company’s offices.
The company’s president, James Yip, said Mr Cate was a talented crane operator and that his salary would have been enough for him to live comfortably in Singapore for the rest of his life.
Cine Operams Singapore is the latest in a string of Chinese productions that have been financed by Chinese investors.
A major Chinese entertainment company, Sinococha, recently bought a majority stake in Singapore’s leading film studio The Film Company.
Singapore has been attracting investment from Chinese media giants Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd.