Governor 'shocked' by busway strike<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Four days after asking bus drivers to make the TransJakarta
\nBusway project launch a perfect one, Governor Sutiyoso was
\nshocked to discover 30 had gone on strike, demanding clarity in
\ntheir employment contracts and extra allowances besides their
\nbasic salaries.<\/p>\n
\"Strike?\" he asked, almost speechless.<\/p>\n
City spokesman Muhayat was quick to answer reporters'
\nquestions. \"There is no strike, Pak. That information came from
\nbusway operator Jakarta Express Trans. (The strike) is only a
\nrumor which needs to be checked.\"<\/p>\n
Reports on Friday said 30 of the 198 busway drivers had gone
\non strike.<\/p>\n
The drivers said their Rp 2 million (US$238) basic monthly
\ntake-home salaries were lower than their previous incomes as
\nregular buses drivers. They usually brought home Rp 2.5 million
\nper month.<\/p>\n
To express their protest, the striking drivers returned their
\nbusway uniforms.<\/p>\n
One busway driver said he personally knew of several drivers
\nwho refused to go to work on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"At least four busway drivers are ready to resign. They failed
\nto show up today,\" he said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said he had promised drivers he would look after
\ntheir welfare. \"If they insist on striking, we'll replace them
\nwith other drivers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For some drivers, however, the protest was shortlived, a
\nnumber of them returning to work later in the day.<\/p>\n
In other developments, the city administration discovered on
\nFriday the lane divider on Jl. Majapahit had been placed wrongly.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post observed that workers from the City
\nTransportation Agency marked the road to indicate a new lane
\ndivider.<\/p>\n
The administration confirmed the error, and said it planned to
\nshift the divider.<\/p>\n
\"If our evaluation shows that the lane divider is in the wrong
\nplace, then we will move it,\" Sutiyoso said.<\/p>\n
He told TransJakarta Busway management head Irzal Djamal and
\ntransportation agency head Rustam Effendy to immediately check on
\nthe progress of the busway's implementation.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said his officials would continue to iron out any
\nflaws discovered in the implementation of the busway.<\/p>\n
\"We hope to minimize similar problems when opening new busway
\ncorridors in the future,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Thursday's busway kickoff was marred by several incidents,
\nincluding the breaking of an iron handrail on a bus.<\/p>\n
Five of the 56 buses also failed to operate on Thursday after
\nthey experienced engine troubles and other technical problems.
\nThey are being repaired at Pinang Ranti busway poll in East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Several buses plying the route overlapping the busway corridor
\nfrom Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta were still
\noperating on Friday.<\/p>",
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