Dismissed cabbies protest to human rights body

Dismissed cabbies protest to human rights body

JAKARTA (JP): Eleven employees of Gamya Taxi and their
families filed a complaint with the National Commission on Human
Rights yesterday over their dismissal by the company for trying
to form a workers' union.

The employees told two members of the commission, Secretary-
General Baharuddin Lopa and Brig.Gen. (Ret) Roekmini Koesoemo
Astoeti, that the visit was a last ditch effort at achieving
justice.

"We have filed reports on the matter with the Jakarta office
of the manpower ministry and the main office of the Ministry of
Manpower itself. But even after seven months they have failed to
settle it," Novry Syamsuddin, spokesman for the delegation, told
the commission.

He said the ministry's Jakarta office had failed to achieve
open negotiations between workers and the company because PT
Gamya officials refused to show up for the four meetings
arranged by the office.

"There is nothing we can do but complain to the commission
because we cannot find jobs in other taxi companies," Novry said,
adding that most of them have had to sell their houses just to
survive.

He said the management of PT Gamya, a subsidiary of Blue Bird
Taxi, has told other taxi companies, as well as the organization
of land transportation businessmen, not to accept them because
they are troublemakers.

The management of Gamya Taxi could not be reached for comment.

The drivers were among the 40 employees that were dismissed by
PT Gamya Taxi for allegedly organizing a strike that crippled the
company's activities in July last year. More than 200 employees
of the transportation company, many of them drivers, went on
strike at the taxi pool in Condet, East Jakarta, to protest
against the company's refusal not to allow them to form a
workers' union.

He said that the management rejected the formation of a
workers' union because there was already drivers' corps which
could settle any problem. "But the corps is not functioning to
defend us," Novry said.

Lopa told the delegation that the commission will have to
study the matter carefully.

"You have to be patient because the commission will have to
study the case first, but you also have to continue efforts to
settle this matter through the Ministry of Manpower," Lopa said.

Novry explained that the main reason for wanting to form a
workers' union was to change the management system in which
drivers should resign from the company after three years and
reapply as workers for another three years.

"This is unfair and workers think that a union is the right
answer to improve our welfare, but unfortunately the management
disagreed to this, saying that the setting up of a union in the
company would only cause unrest," he said.

Novry told the commission that of the 138 drivers who signed
the petition to form a workers' union, only 38 are still working
at the company. (yns)