Bakauheni traders go on strike here
Bakauheni traders go on strike here
JAKARTA (JP): Fourteen street vendors from the Bakauheni ferry
port in Lampung, at the southern tip of Sumatra, begun a hunger
strike on Thursday at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute to press
their demands that they be allowed to resume their business
operations.
The protesting traders, claiming to represent their 300 fellow
vendors, said the harbor authority had repeatedly prohibited the
traders from operating at the harbor since 1981.
"Although we set up a legal cooperative this year, the
authority still dispersed us," spokesman for the traders A.
Jordin told reporters at the legal aid center.
He said the authority earlier promised to allow the traders to
resume operations only after they had set up a legal cooperative.
However, the authority instead arrested many of the 300
traders, who are all members of the newly established
cooperative, for operating at the harbor, the spokesman for the
Bakauheni street vendors said.
"We're often beaten at the harbor office. And our merchandise
is even seized," Jordin said.
He said the goods would only be returned when vendors were
able to pay between Rp 20,000 (US$2.70) and Rp 25,000.
The ferry port serves inter-city passenger buses and container
trucks that connect cities in Sumatra with those in Java and
Bali.
Jordin said the cooperative members held a rally at the
Ministry of Communications on May 27. During the protest, the
ministry's director general of land transportation, Santo
Budiono, promised to help settle the problem, he added.
"But until now, the harbor authority still reject us. We will
go on hunger strike until the problem is solved."
In response to the traders' demands, the legal aid center
director, Apong Herlina, urged the ferry port authority to let
the traders resume their business at the harbor.
"We ask the authority to stop violence against the traders
without any legal basis," Apong said.
She said the center would send letters to the Minister of
Communications, the Lampung governor, Lampung police chief and
other related parties to give attention to the matter.(jun)