Busway drivers OK work conditions
Urip Hudiono and Leony Aurora, Jakarta
Six months after the busway started operation in the capital on Jan. 15, busway drivers have noticed that consortium PT Jakarta Express Trans (JET) has introduced improvements to their working conditions following a drivers' protest over their work status in the early days of employment.
After providing mobile toilets and allowing drivers to take a two-minute break at the Kota busway terminal in West Jakarta, the consortium also provided an air-conditioned drivers' lounge at the Blok M bus terminal in South Jakarta, equipped with toilets and a musholla (prayer room), where drivers can take a 10-minute break each time they complete a route.
Sudi T., a busway driver who was on standby at the Pinang Ranti bus pool on Wednesday, said he was satisfied with his pay and working conditions. He said drivers previously complained because many of them had been regular bus drivers who were accustomed to taking home daily earnings.
Sudi, who was among the consortium's first recruits of 126 drivers, said he now realized the benefits of being a busway driver as compared to a regular bus driver, such as the regular work hours.
"We work eight hours, five days a week followed by one day off, which gives us more time with our families," he said.
Purwanto, another driver who was taking a break at the Blok M drivers' lounge, said he and fellow drivers felt content after signing their contracts of employment.
"PT JET explained to us that it was also contracted by TransJakarta Busway management and it was therefore impossible for the company to hire us as permanent employees," he said.
When The Jakarta Post asked PT JET operational director Payaman Manik Raja to comment on working conditions at the company, he said that relations between the management and the drivers had improved since the company had introduced some perks.
"We give them breakfast and lunch every day," he said on Wednesday.
A dormitory has also been built at the busway bus pool in Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta. The 48-square-meter air-conditioned dormitory, equipped with 20 beds, is open to any driver who is too tired or finds it too late to go home after working the night shift.
As for their employment status, Manik explained that all 139 drivers currently hired by the consortium signed contracts in March, which could be extended on a yearly basis.
According to the standard contract, each driver receives a take-home pay of Rp 2,010,000 (US$223) per month -- consisting of a Rp 700,000 monthly salary, a Rp 200,000 family stipend, a Rp 150,000 health allowance and Rp 40,000 for per day, totaling up to Rp 960,000.
The first busway corridor stretches 12.9-kilometer from Blok M to Kota. Drivers ply the route for an eight-hour journey on a day or night shift, depending on their schedule.
In the early days of working, many drivers complained of the monotonous, non-stop shift and the unclear status of their employment. They also demanded an additional daily stipend for meals and transportation.
Some drivers still complain about some policies they consider too harsh.
One busway driver refused to talk to the Post, saying "One of us got fired after talking to a journalist."
Another driver, who requested anonymity for the same reason, said that working there was OK. "But the management punishes drivers too easily."
If a passenger phones in a complaint claiming that a driver was driving recklessly, the management immediately suspends him for five days. "The management should first check if the complaint is true."