Court turns down taxi drivers' lawsuit

Court turns down taxi drivers' lawsuit

JAKARTA (JP): Six drivers from the Gamya taxi company who have
been jobless for two years were left in despair Wednesday when
the East Jakarta District Court dismissed their lawsuit against
the company this week.

The team of judges led by M. Basoeki ruled that there was no
reason for the company to allow the drivers to establish a trade
union.

PT Gamya has insisted that a union is unnecessary because the
company already has an association called the Employee Corps.

The judges also said that the plaintiffs could not prove that
their dismissal was prompted by their plan to set up a branch of
the All-Indonesia Workers Union Federation.

A company representative also denied the accusation.

"The drivers received a written order to stop working. This
was an instruction for them to solve whatever problems they had
before they could be allowed to start operating again. But it
does not mean dismissal," a source from Gamya who asked to remain
anonymous told The Jakarta Post.

The plaintiffs' lawyer from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute,
Christina Rini, told the Post that the six sacked drivers plan to
appeal the decision to a higher court. (14)