Pasar Jaya employee questions dismissal
Pasar Jaya employee questions dismissal
JAKARTA (JP): A former employee of Petojo Ilir market, in Central Jakarta, managed by the city-owned market company PD Pasar Jaya, questioned yesterday a decision made by the management to dismiss him as the market's security chief.
Djanahar, a retired marine officer, who joined PD Pasar Jaya in 1970, said that he was fired last January without prior notice or a chance to defend himself, on allegations that he collected illegal levies from street vendors operating in the market.
"The company never gave me notification regarding the dismissal. I just found that the company suddenly gave me a dismissal paper," he told The Jakarta Post.
However, according to the company, Djanahar was proven guilty of taking levies illegally from traders at Petojo Ilir market. Because his reckless action caused restlessness among the traders, the company decided to dismiss him in January.
Djanahar explained that the problem began when he started to organize the street vendors, whose operations around the market caused traffic jams.
Apparently, he said, the street vendors did not like his attitude because in his operations Djanahar frequently threw and kicked away their merchandise boxes.
The traders later filed a complaint with the local garrison command, which, in turn, summoned Djanahar to the officer to settle the matter in November last year.
At the garrison Djanahar was told the street vendors expressed objection about the daily, monthly and yearly fees, which he collected from them.
"I admitted that there was a fee collection, but its rule was created by the my predecessor and I just continued it," he said.
He said there are about 50 street vendors operating around the market. Each trader was forced to pay a fee of Rp 50 per day, in addition to Rp 5,000 per month and another Rp 60,000 per year. "This payment is needed to give my subordinates additional incomes," he said.
Whatever his arguments, last January Djanahar was fired and that means he lost his job and main source of income.
"All I want is justice. The company should have given me a chance to defend myself, rather than fire me directly," he said. (yns)