Class action filed against PLN for April blackout

Class action filed against PLN for April blackout

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) filed
a lawsuit against the State Electricity Company (PLN) at the
South Jakarta District Court yesterday for an eight-hour power
blackout last month.

YLKI demanded that PLN pay Rp 650,000 (US$265) in damages for
their office, and Rp 500,000 each to electricity consumers
affected by the blackout on Sunday, April 13.

The foundation, represented by the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute
(LBH Jakarta) leveled the charge in a class action mechanism.

Victims reached "more than one million consumers", according
to YLKI. If they were to file lawsuits separately, simple, fast
and cheap legal procedures would be impossible, a release from
the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute said.

Foundation executive Zumrotin K. Soesilo said YLKI had
received around 100 complaints on the blackout which hit Java and
Bali. The power cut lasted at least eight hours in and around
Jakarta.

The lawsuit stated that because of PLN's authority and
responsibility toward consumers, PLN should have "observed the
principles of decency, caution and thoroughness".

It said the blackout occurred suddenly and without prior
notice despite the fact that three days before, PLN had found
faults at several points of the Java-Bali interconnection system.

PLN had violated the 1985 Electricity Law and a 1989 rule on
providing electricity, lawyer Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan said.

Chairwoman Tini Hadad said the collective lawsuit "was aimed
to increase public awareness of their rights".

Another purpose was to warn authorities and businesspeople to
consider consumers before making decisions, Tini said.

"The suit is also intended to make people realize that the law
on protecting consumers should be soon released," she said.

The foundation also demanded PLN open counters at its offices
in Java and Bali for people seeking compensation.

Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana said the power cut
was conducted to repair earlier detected faults at the Gandul
transmission I and load-control in Cinere, South Jakarta.

Sunday was chosen for the power cut because most factories and
commercial offices are usually closed, he said.

While repair work was underway, transmission line II
overloaded because the three electronic cards at Gandul that
provided load protection were unexpectedly out of order. This
caused the Suralaya power station to fail, cutting off power to
most areas in Java and Bali.

Zumrotin said the relationship between the PLN and consumers
was purely business related.

"Electrical power has become a commodity from which PLN had
reaped profits," she said. PLN, she added, "is not a charity
institution, but should serve the public".

Zumrotin said it was difficult to count losses more
accurately.

"The complaints are varied, how can we count the losses of
people who could not watch TV?" she said. (05)