PPD bus operator strike makes small ripples<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The state enterprise Djakarta Transportation bus company (PPD)
\nwas not in operation on Wednesday as most of its drivers,
\nconductors and staff went on strike, but it did not greatly
\naffect the city transportation, according to some commuters.<\/p>\n
PPD, which is supposedly be the leading bus operator in the
\ncity, only serves 44 routes. It has 751 buses, but only 315 are
\nroadworthy. The figure is less than 6 percent of the total of
\nabout 5,200 large and medium-sized buses operating in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"This morning I took the Mayasari Bakti bus serving Bekasi and
\nKota, the same route served by the PPD bus which I usually take.
\nWell, I didn't get a seat and had to stand up all the way here
\nand I was one hour late," Rita, an employee at state-run Radio
\nRepublik Indonesia on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta,
\ntold The Jakarta Post as she alit at a bus stop across from her
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Organized by the PPD branch of the Indonesian Prosperity Trade
\nUnion (SBSI), about 2,000 bus drivers, conductors and staff
\nstaged a rally outside the Presidential Palace on Jl. Medan
\nMerdeka Utara in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
They intended to meeting President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
\ncomplain about the company's policy to pay their salaries for the
\nlast three months on an installment basis; as well as the
\nmanagement's plan for asset divestment.<\/p>\n
Instead of meeting them, the President appointed Minister of
\nManpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea to deal with them.<\/p>\n
"It is not very wise to directly demand things from the
\nPalace, you should meet me first. Anyway, the President has
\ndirectly spoken to me, asking my office to find a solution to the
\nproblems," Jacob said while meeting representatives of PPD
\nworkers at his office.<\/p>\n
"I will hold a discussion with all parties involved in PPD's
\nmanagement here on April 14," he added, while promising them that
\nhe would make some phone calls to make sure that the workers
\nwould soon receive their full salaries.<\/p>\n
As a state enterprise, PPD is currently under the authority of
\nfour different institutions. Its financial affairs are in the
\nhands of the Ministry of Finance, its operations are in the hands
\nof the Ministry of Transportation, while its management is
\ncontrolled by the office of the State Minister for State
\nEnterprises.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the control of its area of operation is handled by
\nJakarta administration.<\/p>\n
Since its merging with seven private bus operators in 1995,
\nthe company has had a problem of too many employees, where the
\nratio of buses to staff is 1:12, or each bus is handled by 12
\ncrew members. The acceptable ratio is 1:5.<\/p>\n
The company's data shows that the monthly income is about Rp
\n7.5 billion (US$842,700), while the expenses, including for the
\nsalary of 5,388 workers, fuel and maintenance, amount up to Rp 11
\nbillion per month.<\/p>\n
As a consequence, PPD is now in debt about Rp 50 billion.<\/p>\n
"We want the government to entrust all the authority only to
\nthe Jakarta administration because too many institutions taking
\ncare of PPD doesn't mean an efficient management. When there is a
\nproblem, like the one we're facing now, each of the institutions
\njust shift blame to each other," the workers' coordinator,
\nRobinson Hasibuan, told Jacob.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppd-bus-operator-strike-makes-small-ripples-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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