Bali hotels pledge not to lay off workers<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
A feared social upheaval caused by rising unemployment may no
\nlonger be an issue in Bali as hotel managements there are vowing
\nnot to lay off their workers, despite the fact that the Oct. 12
\nblasts have seriously reduced hotel occupancy rates.<\/p>\n
\"We have decided not to lay off workers over the three months
\nsince the bombings and will evaluate the situation in February,\"
\nI Gde Wirata, chairman of the Bali branch of the Indonesian Hotel
\nand Restaurant Association (PHRI), told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"But signs of recovery are increasingly clear in Bali, with
\nthe return of many foreign tourists to the resort island. It is
\ngiving us hope for the future,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Wirata said that other positive signs included the success of
\nthe security authorities in capturing key bombing suspects, such
\nas Imam Samudra and Amrozi, and the move by other countries to
\nlift or ease travel bans on their citizens from visiting Bali.<\/p>\n
Minister of Tourism and Culture I Gde Ardika's roadshows in
\nEurope and other countries, aimed at promoting Indonesia, have
\nalso significantly helped convince foreigners to return or pledge
\nto come again to Bali, Wirata said.<\/p>\n
\"This has increased hotel occupancy to around 30 percent to 50
\npercent since the incident,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The bomb attack, which killed over 190 people and injured some
\n300 others, mostly foreigners, has devastated Bali as one of the
\nworld's most famous tourist islands, previously known for its
\npeace and safety.<\/p>\n
Analysts warned the government of a new social problem in Bali
\nas hundreds of thousands of Balinese were likely to lose their
\njobs as a result of the crippled tourism industry in the
\npredominantly Hindu province.<\/p>\n
Hotels and restaurants there have indeed cut working hours for
\ntheir workers but have continued to pay their basic salaries.
\nSome are working only three or four days per week.<\/p>\n
However, Wirata gave an assurance that the reduction of
\nworking hours would not lead to massive layoffs, at least until
\nafter January next year.<\/p>\n
\"Workers are a company's asset that must be maintained,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
His remark came as Balinese figures and analysts appealed to
\nlocal tourism businesses to avoid laying off workers, despite the
\nhuge losses they were suffering after the deadly terrorist
\nattack.<\/p>\n
They lamented that businesspeople would be \"inhuman\" and
\nlacking \"social solidarity\" if they decided to lay off their
\nworkers during the current economic hardship hitting the
\nBalinese, who rely on tourism for their livelihood.<\/p>\n
\"Tourism had produced huge profits for decades in Bali. Now
\nthey want to lay off workers after the incident -- it's inhuman.
\nThey should bear the losses for several months during this
\ndifficult situation,\" Adnyana Manuaba, a scholar with Denpasar-
\nbased Udayana University, Bali, told the Post last week.<\/p>\n
Similarly, senior Hindu activist I Wayan Jondra and local
\nsociopolitical analyst Putu Suasta said that massive lay-offs had
\nto be avoided to prevent social upheaval in Bali.<\/p>\n
\"The governor should officially ask businesses to ensure that
\ntheir workers are not rendered jobless after the bombings. If
\nthey did otherwise, it would be a misjudgment of historic
\nproportions in Bali,\" Suasta said.<\/p>\n
\"Local people would deride and oppose hotel operators moving
\nto lay off workers. It would likely create unrest,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Some 900,000 people, mostly Balinese, work in the tourism
\nsector, particularly in hotels, which provide a total of 37,000
\nrooms across the province.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-hotels-pledge-not-to-lay-off-workers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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