Container truck drivers stage protest
Container truck drivers stage protest
JAKARTA (JP): Drivers of some 40 container trucks and trailers
staged a protest over the poor treatment they received from their
company by driving their giant vehicles to the House of
Representatives complex in Central Jakarta on Tuesday morning.
The drivers, who were demanding adequate wages, clear
employment status and a proper welfare scheme from their firm, PT
Waringin Wisesa Abadi, were initially prohibited by police from
entering the compound.
As a result, the drivers then parked their trucks in front of
the complex's main entrance and along busy Jl. Gatot Subroto,
causing heavy traffic congestion for about three hours in the
area.
A traffic police officer (above picture, center) guides a
container truck driver (unseen) to back up his vehicle to
immediately leave the House compound.
According to the protesters, they were members of a maritime
workers' union based at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta, and
were employed by PT Waringin Wisesa Abadi.
The workers arrived at 6 a.m. and gave speeches in the parking
lot of the legislature.
"We demand a regular wage of Rp 1 million for each driver per
month, and also clear employment status with the company set out
in a formal contract," said the general secretary of the Port
Transport Workers' Union, Teguh Susilo.
Teguh added that most port workers only received commissions
and transport allowances under informal agreements which are
renewed every three to six months.
Teguh said that commissions for orders in Jakarta and West
Java ranged between Rp 17,500 and 50,000 and transportation
allowances varied between Rp 30,000 and 230,000 for each order.
These included toll fees, loading and unloading fees, and payoffs
to hoodlums in the port and other areas.
Company executives could either not be reached or were not
available for comment.
The protesters finally met with several members of the
legislature's Commission VII for population and welfare affairs
at noon. Legislators promised they would follow up the workers'
complaints with the management. (07)