Thu, 23 Mar 2000

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)