Airport employees return to work
Airport employees return to work
JAKARTA (JP): As a result of a meeting with the management of
the airport's ground handling service provider, PT Gapura
Angkasa, on Tuesday, most of the 32 employees who took part in
Monday's strike at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
eventually turned up and resumed their work on Wednesday.
"The management of PT Gapura Angkasa distributed letters of
agreement to the 32 employees who participated in the strike in a
meeting on Tuesday," one of the protesters, Helderson Panggabean,
told The Jakarta Post at the office of the employees' lawyer, the
Indonesian Workers Muslim Brotherhood (PPMI), in Tebet, South
Jakarta.
"They were requested by their superior to sign the letters of
agreement, declaring their willingness to obey all the company's
regulations, including a promise not to hold any strikes in the
future," he said.
The 32 employees were part of a group of some 100 protesting
employees, who staged a sit-in at the airport on Monday demanding
the government restore their civil servant status. The protesters
were employees of the airport's terminals E and F.
Among the management staff attending the meeting were the
commercial director, Robert Waroni, airport branch manager
Priyono Roem and operational director Tholib.
Panggabean, also chairman of PPMI's Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport branch, said the company had intimidated
the employees with the letter.
"The employees must obey all the company's rules and are ready
to bear all the risks if the employees are involved in such
activities in the future," said Panggabean, while quoting the
letter of agreement.
He said they could do nothing to oppose the term stipulated in
the letter, but only wait for the upcoming meeting with the
management of PT Garuda Indonesia, PT Gapura's parent company,
soon.
Another employee, Suprapto Heri, said the employees were
divided over the management's bid.
"Some of them accepted the request and signed the letter, but
others are considering the request," Heri told the Post at PPMI's
office.
Panggabean said most of the employees returned to their work
on Wednesday. "They worked along with employees from the
company's Bali and Surabaya branch offices, who were deployed
after the 32 employees were prevented from working on Tuesday,"
he said.
PT Gapura temporarily placed the employees to meet passenger
demand in ground handling services.
PT Gapura Angkasa is a private joint venture company,
coestablished by national flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia and
airport management PT Angkasa Pura. Its sole company provides
ground handling services for PT Garuda.
Garuda transferred 1,600 employees to the company in 1998 as
part of Garuda's restructuring program. About 100 employees
staged the strike on Monday seeking better company benefits, as
good as obtained by their colleagues at Garuda, by demanding the
government restore their status as employees of the company.
Priyono Roem refused to talk to the Post, saying he was busy
handling the arrival of haj pilgrims. (asa)
JAKARTA (JP): As a result of a meeting with the management of
the airport's ground handling service provider, PT Gapura
Angkasa, on Tuesday, most of the 32 employees who took part in
Monday's strike at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
eventually turned up and resumed their work on Wednesday.
"The management of PT Gapura Angkasa distributed letters of
agreement to the 32 employees who participated in the strike in a
meeting on Tuesday," one of the protesters, Helderson Panggabean,
told The Jakarta Post at the office of the employees' lawyer, the
Indonesian Workers Muslim Brotherhood (PPMI), in Tebet, South
Jakarta.
"They were requested by their superior to sign the letters of
agreement, declaring their willingness to obey all the company's
regulations, including a promise not to hold any strikes in the
future," he said.
The 32 employees were part of a group of some 100 protesting
employees, who staged a sit-in at the airport on Monday demanding
the government restore their civil servant status. The protesters
were employees of the airport's terminals E and F.
Among the management staff attending the meeting were the
commercial director, Robert Waroni, airport branch manager
Priyono Roem and operational director Tholib.
Panggabean, also chairman of PPMI's Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport branch, said the company had intimidated
the employees with the letter.
"The employees must obey all the company's rules and are ready
to bear all the risks if the employees are involved in such
activities in the future," said Panggabean, while quoting the
letter of agreement.
He said they could do nothing to oppose the term stipulated in
the letter, but only wait for the upcoming meeting with the
management of PT Garuda Indonesia, PT Gapura's parent company,
soon.
Another employee, Suprapto Heri, said the employees were
divided over the management's bid.
"Some of them accepted the request and signed the letter, but
others are considering the request," Heri told the Post at PPMI's
office.
Panggabean said most of the employees returned to their work
on Wednesday. "They worked along with employees from the
company's Bali and Surabaya branch offices, who were deployed
after the 32 employees were prevented from working on Tuesday,"
he said.
PT Gapura temporarily placed the employees to meet passenger
demand in ground handling services.
PT Gapura Angkasa is a private joint venture company,
coestablished by national flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia and
airport management PT Angkasa Pura. Its sole company provides
ground handling services for PT Garuda.
Garuda transferred 1,600 employees to the company in 1998 as
part of Garuda's restructuring program. About 100 employees
staged the strike on Monday seeking better company benefits, as
good as obtained by their colleagues at Garuda, by demanding the
government restore their status as employees of the company.
Priyono Roem refused to talk to the Post, saying he was busy
handling the arrival of haj pilgrims. (asa)