Gamya taxi firm denies dismissing its drivers
Gamya taxi firm denies dismissing its drivers
JAKARTA (JP): The Gamya taxi company has never laid off or fired its drivers, as mass layoffs are against government regulations, the company's lawyer says.
Lawyer S.S.Helios Koento-Djojonegoro said in a letter dated Feb. 7, 1996 any reports of mass dismissals at the taxi company were completely baseless.
The letter is to deny The Jakarta Post's report on Jan. 24, 1996 which said that five former Gamya taxi drivers had filed a lawsuit at the East Jakarta District court, claiming that the company had dismissed them unfairly.
The report also said that six other drivers filed the same lawsuit at the same court in November 1994.
According to the report, PT Gamya had told the court that it dismissed 130 employees between April and June 1994 following efforts by its drivers to establish a workers' union.
Lawyer Helios Koento strongly denied the reports, saying in the letter that 13, not 130 drivers as was erroneously reported, had staged a demonstration. Some other protests had also taken place involving around 30 people, including the drivers' families and relatives.
The lawyer did not elucidate on when and where the protests took place.
"The protesters didn't get any satisfaction after they lodged their complaints with the University of Indonesia, the House of Representatives, the National Commission on Human Rights," she said.
The lawyer said that the group was allegedly led by a former employee, Novri.
When Jakarta hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in 1994, they planned to go strike, she said. "The plan failed, as other drivers refused to join the strike."
The lawyer also said that her client would not break the government's regulations on the establishment of workers' unions.
"We have been working out to discuss the setting up of union at Gamya with the Ministry of Manpower. But the group withdrew from further discussions," she said. "The establishment of workers' union could not be done due to the request of only 13 out of 700 drivers".
Speaking of the employees' corps in the company, the lawyer said that the corps establishment was in line with the gubernatorial decree. "The Transportation Owners Association, Organda, which is recognized by the government, still acknowledges that the corps is a legal organization," she said.
One-sided reports on the drivers' protests could lead to the cancellation of some business deals between PT Gamya and its overseas partners in Canada and New Zealand, among others, Helios Koento said. (sur)