Telkom workers strike against transfer plan<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Semarang and Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
More than 3,000 workers of state-owned telecommunications firm
\nPT Telkom Tbk in Central Java and Yogyakarta staged a strike on
\nMonday in their latest bid to foil the deal to transfer the unit
\nto another state-owned telecommunications firm, PT Indosat.<\/p>\n
During the strike, all of the workers came to work as usual,
\nbut only held prayers during working hours.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the workers's union M. Prayitno said in the
\nCentral Java capital of Semarang that the workers would continue
\nthe strike until Thursday, which is the deadline for Telkom and
\nIndosat to decide whether to go ahead with the deal.<\/p>\n
Should both companies decide to press ahead, the workers
\nwould continue their protest with other actions, including
\nresignation, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Basically, if our demands are rejected, all workers in
\nRegional Division (Divre) IV have decided to resign rather than
\nwork with Indosat,\" he told reporters during the strike.<\/p>\n
Divre IV covers Telkom's operations in both provinces.<\/p>\n
Telkom and Indosat agreed in May last year to swap assets in a
\nbid to end cross-ownership of the country's telecommunications
\nindustry.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, Telkom will sell Divre IV to Indosat to allow
\nthe latter to enter the fixed line telephone business to
\ncomplement its international call business. At the same time,
\nTelkom will acquire Indosat's 35 percent share in the country's
\nlargest cellular phone provider, PT Telkomsel.<\/p>\n
The government hopes the deal will strengthen the two
\ncompanies' performances in anticipation of liberalization of the
\nsector in 2003.<\/p>\n
But the Divre IV workers, who fear the loss of their jobs
\nunder Indosat, accused Indosat of planning to sell Divre IV to
\nforeign investors. They have threatened to burn all Telkom's
\nassets in Divre IV once Indosat takes over the unit.<\/p>\n
Prayitno said he apologized to Telkom customers for any
\ndisruption caused by the strike, adding that the service in both
\nprovinces remained normal, except for the service to connect new
\nlines and repair lines.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Consumer Protection and Supervision Foundation
\n(LP2K) threatened to file a class action against Telkom should
\nthe strike inflict losses on consumers.<\/p>\n
\"The strike is their internal problem, but it doesn't mean
\nthey should ignore the interests of consumers,\" Ngargono, the
\nLP2K executive secretary, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/telkom-workers-strike-against-transfer-plan-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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