PPD bus drivers' strike leaves thousands stranded<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 1,500 employees, mostly drivers, of
\nstate bus firm Perum PPD went on strike on Wednesday, demanding
\nlast month's salary, pension and insurance payment, while
\nthousands of bus passengers were stranded.<\/p>\n
The protesters, arriving in around 100 buses at the Ministry
\nof Transportation and Communication on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat,
\nCentral Jakarta, complained that the company had not paid last
\nmonth's salary and the remaining half of their salary in
\nFebruary.<\/p>\n
Unfurling posters and banners, they also demanded that the
\ngovernment replace the firm's current board of directors with
\nhonest people.<\/p>\n
Due to the strike, thousands of people were stranded in
\nvarious places across the city, despite the fact that the
\nauthorities deployed 219 buses to cope with the problem.<\/p>\n
The rally at the ministry lasted for six hours as
\nrepresentatives of the demonstrators refused to discuss their
\ndemand with the ministry's land transportation general director,
\nSusmono Soesilo. They insisted on meeting with Minister of
\nTransportation and Communication Agum Gumelar, who was attending
\na Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n
Agum finally received five representatives of the workers in
\nthe afternoon.<\/p>\n
PPD's acting president Muchlasin R. admitted that salaries
\nwere paid late because the company was still suffering from
\nmonthly losses of Rp. 2.3 billion (US$230,000).<\/p>\n
"We have been helped by the Ministry of Finance, but the
\ndisbursement of the fund has not been smooth," Muchlasin told
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
He said the company earned Rp 5.6 billion every month from the
\noperation of its 525 buses while spending Rp 4.1 billion for
\nworkers' salaries and allowances, and a further Rp 900 million
\nfor fuel.<\/p>\n
Without mentioning the amount, he said the company's income
\nwas also used for maintenance costs, including the purchasing of
\nbus spare parts.<\/p>\n
The company reportedly suffered Rp 400 billion losses from
\n1998 until last year. The government, which canceled its plan to
\nliquidate the firm, had to subsidize it with Rp 2.3 billion a
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Agum regretted that drivers were staging rallies as he claimed
\nthat the government was still trying to improve the company's
\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
"We have prevented the company from liquidation but the
\nworkers do not show any thanks," Agum told reporters.<\/p>\n
He pledged to take action against certain company workers for
\ninciting colleagues to stage the strike on several occasions over
\nthe past few months.<\/p>\n
He viewed employees' demands were no longer "normal", saying
\nthat certain groups were trying to take advantage and wanted the
\ncompany to become bankrupt.<\/p>\n
"Their demands are too much and no longer normal," he said.<\/p>\n
"It's as if we are giving 'milk' by healing the (ailing) firm,
\nbut the workers give us poison in return. We have to take stern
\naction," he said.<\/p>\n
The striking drivers are mostly members of the Indonesian
\nWelfare Workers Union (SBSI)'s transportation division.<\/p>\n
Muchlasin said the bus management's efforts to heal the firm
\ninclude a plan to buy 100 new buses which would be financed by
\ninvestor PT Folgreen Indonesia, to replace current old buses.<\/p>\n
He said the management was also trying to reduce the current
\nratio of one bus to 10 employees, into five workers to one bus.<\/p>\n
Separately, City Land Transportation and Traffic Control
\nAgency (DLLAJ) head Buyung Atang said his agency had deployed 219
\nadditional buses, from Mayasari and Steady Safe bus firms, to
\naide stranded passengers.<\/p>\n
But he admitted that there were still stranded passengers at
\nterminals and on PPD bus routes. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppd-bus-drivers-strike-leaves-thousands-stranded-1447893297",
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