Strike likely to continue: Police<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police warned that a public
\ntransportation strike that affected some parts of the city on
\nSaturday would be repeated again on Monday to protest the 30
\npercent increase of fuel prices.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said on
\nSunday that information collected by police intelligence
\npersonnel indicated that a strike would most likely affect some
\nparts of the city.<\/p>\n
\"We have received news from our intelligence units that
\nSaturday's strike, which involved hundreds of public bus and
\nminivan drivers, will continue on Monday,\" Anton told The Jakarta
\nPost on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Anton said the police had coordinated with the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) and the city administration to take
\nnecessary measures should the strike materialize.<\/p>\n
\"Together, we will deploy over 100 trucks in bus terminals
\nacross the capital to transport stranded passengers,\" Anton said.<\/p>\n
Anton warned that police would not hesitate to arrest anybody
\ncaught trying to coerce public minivan or bus drivers to
\nparticipate in the strike.<\/p>\n
The police arrested 12 people during Saturday's strike at
\nCiputat, South Jakarta. They included workers, university
\nstudents, laborers and a commander of the City Forum (Forkot).<\/p>\n
\"The police will not tolerate any sort of chaos in the
\ncapital,\" Anton said.<\/p>\n
Currently, 21,000 police personnel are on high alert and
\ndeployed in the capital's economic centers, around public
\nfacilities and in and around the capital's gas stations.<\/p>\n
A wave of protests and strikes in several locations throughout
\nthe country took place on Saturday and Sunday after the
\ngovernment announced the hike of fuel prices, which became
\neffective on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The price of premium leaded gasoline has risen to Rp 1,450 (13
\nU.S. cents) per liter from Rp 1,150; automotive diesel oil to Rp
\n900 per liter from Rp 600; and kerosene to Rp 400 from Rp 350 per
\nliter.<\/p>\n
According to National Police data, strikes by public
\ntransportation drivers had affected at least 19 Indonesian cities
\nas of Sunday, most of them located in Java.<\/p>\n
Bandung, the capital of West Java, experienced the worst
\nstrike, which followed violent labor protests at the end of last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
The Bandung administration bowed to the drivers' demand and
\napproved a fare increase for public transportation by between 25
\npercent and 30 percent.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the drivers will start operating their vehicles
\nbecause their demand (for an increased fare) has been met. The
\nstudents have to sit their final examinations on Monday,\" West
\nJava Governor R. Nuriana exclaimed on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The situation in Bandung returned to normal on Sunday. Shops
\nand markets resumed trading while there were still few public
\nvehicles visible in the streets.<\/p>\n
Drivers who had not begun working again admitted that they
\nwere afraid of intimidation from fellow drivers and possible
\nriots if they resumed operations.<\/p>\n
\"I'll see if many of my friends start serving passengers. I
\nwill too, but if there's only a few of them I'd rather not
\noperate my vehicle,\" a minivan driver, Deden, said.<\/p>\n
On several routes, such as in Lembang and Ciwiduey, however,
\nthe public transportation had ground to a complete halt.<\/p>\n
Still on Sunday, in Kebon Kelapa and Cicadas terminal, Bandung
\nPolice arrested five members of the Democratic People's Party
\n(PRD) who were allegedly distributing pamphlets about a rally
\nplanned for Monday.<\/p>\n
Bandung police chief Sr. Comr. Timur Pradopo claimed the
\narrested PRD members were provoking drivers to strike on Monday.<\/p>\n
In Jambi, the strike continued on Sunday with only several
\nvehicles resuming operations.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that many of the public minivan drivers just
\nparked their vehicles in several terminals.<\/p>\n
The striking public minivan drivers there also demanded a
\npublic transportation fare increase.<\/p>\n
Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin said that his administration
\nwould consider the demands made by the public minivan drivers
\nafter thorough discussion with other related agencies.
\n(25\/30\/ylt\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/strike-likely-to-continue-police-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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