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)