Cruise ship fires 103 Indonesian workers

JAKARTA (JP): Holland American Line fired 103 Indonesians working on their MS Westerdam cruise Saturday for a strike they organized in defense of their fellow countrymen who were facing dismissal.

One of the MS Westerdam crew members who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Jakarta Post by telephone from Florida yesterday that the Indonesians were deported on the same day.

The strike was held in solidarity with five Indonesian crew members following their dispute with the cruise's food manager, Ron van Vliet, he said.

They not only went on strike but also staged a demonstration with posters condemning what they saw as the "unfair treatment" of their five colleagues facing dismissal, he said.

The action practically crippled the service on the cruise which was heading for Florida-Sean Martin-Sean Thomas and Nasao last week, he said.

"Passengers were mad, smashing anything they could because no one served them on the cruise," he said.

"As the cruise anchored in Florida at 4 p.m. on Saturday all 103 Indonesians were kicked off the ship and sent back to Indonesia.

He said that various Indonesians had worked with the company from between one week and 18 years. They were recruited by the Jakarta-based Nitour Inc.

Nitour Inc. general manager Iskandar, who happened to be in Florida on Saturday, was surprised to hear about the "instant" dismissal and promised to look into the matter upon his arrival in Jakarta, the source said.

The Indonesian Sailors Association in Florida could not do anything to help the workers, he added.

The jobless workers are scheduled to arrive at Cengkareng International Airport this evening and plan to refer their case to the House of Representatives (DPR).

MS Westerdam, which has a capacity of up to 1,600 people, employs nearly 350 crew members from Indonesia. (02/pan)