Airport employees return to work<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): As a result of a meeting with the management of
\nthe airport's ground handling service provider, PT Gapura
\nAngkasa, on Tuesday, most of the 32 employees who took part in
\nMonday's strike at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
\neventually turned up and resumed their work on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"The management of PT Gapura Angkasa distributed letters of
\nagreement to the 32 employees who participated in the strike in a
\nmeeting on Tuesday,\" one of the protesters, Helderson Panggabean,
\ntold The Jakarta Post at the office of the employees' lawyer, the
\nIndonesian Workers Muslim Brotherhood (PPMI), in Tebet, South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"They were requested by their superior to sign the letters of
\nagreement, declaring their willingness to obey all the company's
\nregulations, including a promise not to hold any strikes in the
\nfuture,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 32 employees were part of a group of some 100 protesting
\nemployees, who staged a sit-in at the airport on Monday demanding
\nthe government restore their civil servant status. The protesters
\nwere employees of the airport's terminals E and F.<\/p>\n
Among the management staff attending the meeting were the
\ncommercial director, Robert Waroni, airport branch manager
\nPriyono Roem and operational director Tholib.<\/p>\n
Panggabean, also chairman of PPMI's Soekarno-Hatta
\nInternational Airport branch, said the company had intimidated
\nthe employees with the letter.<\/p>\n
\"The employees must obey all the company's rules and are ready
\nto bear all the risks if the employees are involved in such
\nactivities in the future,\" said Panggabean, while quoting the
\nletter of agreement.<\/p>\n
He said they could do nothing to oppose the term stipulated in
\nthe letter, but only wait for the upcoming meeting with the
\nmanagement of PT Garuda Indonesia, PT Gapura's parent company,
\nsoon.<\/p>\n
Another employee, Suprapto Heri, said the employees were
\ndivided over the management's bid.<\/p>\n
\"Some of them accepted the request and signed the letter, but
\nothers are considering the request,\" Heri told the Post at PPMI's
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Panggabean said most of the employees returned to their work
\non Wednesday. \"They worked along with employees from the
\ncompany's Bali and Surabaya branch offices, who were deployed
\nafter the 32 employees were prevented from working on Tuesday,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
PT Gapura temporarily placed the employees to meet passenger
\ndemand in ground handling services.<\/p>\n
PT Gapura Angkasa is a private joint venture company,
\ncoestablished by national flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia and
\nairport management PT Angkasa Pura. Its sole company provides
\nground handling services for PT Garuda.<\/p>\n
Garuda transferred 1,600 employees to the company in 1998 as
\npart of Garuda's restructuring program. About 100 employees
\nstaged the strike on Monday seeking better company benefits, as
\ngood as obtained by their colleagues at Garuda, by demanding the
\ngovernment restore their status as employees of the company.<\/p>\n
Priyono Roem refused to talk to the Post, saying he was busy
\nhandling the arrival of haj pilgrims. (asa)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/airport-employees-return-to-work-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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