Tue, 11 Feb 2003

Garuda pilots unanimously cancel strike

Arya Abhiseka and Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Garuda Indonesia's pilots canceled early Tuesday morning their plan to strike, bringing relief to the nation which had been worried over a possible air travel disruption.

President of the Garuda Pilots Association Ari Sapari told The Jakarta Post that the pilots had decided to cancel the plan at the last minute after a meeting with State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi.

"The association members made the decision on the assurance of the Minister that he would ask the management to reconsider our demands," Ari said.

Earlier, the public were worried that the pilots would go on strike on Tuesday, as they had defied as of Monday all attempts by the management and even Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea to prevent the strike.

On Monday, Jacob lashed out at Garuda's management for their move on Sunday to report the pilots' association to police.

"The management's move is stupid and foolish. The dispute is clearly not a crime, but a labor problem, which needs to be settled by both parties," he said.

However, Jacob, a former outspoken labor activist, said he would not suggest the pilots to stage a strike.

"I will be angry if such a strike should take place," he said.

After a long negotiation over their salary, Garuda's pilots announced last month that they would take industrial action, including going on strike.

While the pilots declined to reveal the details of their demands, the management issued a statement last month saying that the pilots were asking their pay be increased to between Rp 47 million (US$5,292) and Rp 88.8 million.

Several days after the pilots made their threat, Jacob persuaded the pilots to postpone their industrial action and guaranteed both parties that his ministry would mediate in talks to reach a solution.

However, earlier this month, both sides left the negotiating table empty-handed and last Monday, the pilots announced they would go on full strike Tuesday.

Still, when the pilots declined to provide information on their pay demand, the management said in its press statement that during the negotiation, the pilots demanded co-pilots be paid between Rp 6.9 million and Rp 11.9 million and pilots between Rp 13.8 million and Rp 24.1 million.

The management counter-offered that co-pilots be paid between Rp 6.5 million and Rp 11.3 million and pilots between Rp 13.1 million and Rp 22.7 million.

Currently, co-pilots are being paid between Rp 3.9 million and Rp 17.2 million and pilots, between Rp 5.5 million and Rp 22.5 million.

Garuda's management made a surprising move on Sunday to report the pilots to police, calling for an investigation into a possible violation of the law by the pilots in their plan to strike.

The strike plan had caused jitters among Garuda's passengers, and a travel agent in Central Jakarta told the Post Monday it had received calls from worried clients who had booked flights for Tuesday.