Port workers lose jobs due to drop in docking ships

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon

Nearly two thousand workers in Cirebon are facing unemployment because the number of ships entering Cirebon port has dropped dramatically during last week, labor activists have claimed.

Port workers' cooperative chairman Moch. Sami'an said over the weekend that the drop was apparently caused by a police crackdown on illegal timber shipments, leaving at least 1,000 port workers and about 800 truck drivers with no work.

He said that only two or three ships were docking each day. Usually, there were between 15 and 25 ships per day, most heavily loaded with logs from areas like West Kalimantan.

"Normally they (the port workers) can earn between Rp 20,000 and Rp 40,000 per day. But since the ships dropped to only two or three per day, most of them became unemployed while the rest saw their earnings sharply decrease," he said.

Most of the 800 truck drivers, who are usually hired to transport the goods from the port to their final destinations, also lost their jobs.

"During the last three days alone, I have had to return hundreds of workers to their hometowns in Kapetakan and Astanajapura districts," said Moch Sami'an.

Port worker Nardi, 34, said he and his colleagues have been unemployed during the last six days. "No ships docked into the port. It's very quiet. Usually there are dozens of ships entering the port, but now only two or three per day. I don't know when it'll be back to normal again," he said.

Moch Sami'an said that he was worried that if the slump continued, the workers might stage violent protests.

"We see it very possible as currently they are very upset. You know if people hungry they easily get angry," he said.

Cirebon Regional Police Chief, Sr. Comr. Sardjono also feared violence. "We fully understand such a condition. We asked them to be patient as we're currently trying to solve the problem," he said.

Sardjono told the press on Friday he was facing a dilemma. "On one side we have to crack down illegal logs. But on the other hand such action apparently has caused the number of ships entering the port to drop and many port workers and drivers lost their jobs," he said.

Police are working with the workers' cooperatives, PT Pelindo II and the management of the port to solve the problem, he said.

Since March 14, Cirebon and national police have seized six ships in Cirebon port allegedly loaded with about 3,700 cubic meters of illegal logs, with an estimated total value of Rp 1.5 billion.

Cirebon Police Precinct Chief, Adj. Comr. Siswandi said the ships transported the logs from Sampit in West Kalimantan.

Police have claimed the six ships are KLM Patra Niaga with 800 cubic meters of illegal logs, KLM Sarana Bahari with 400 cubic meters of illegal logs, KLM Berkat Safinatussalam with 700 cubic meters of logs, KLM Dasar Perdana with 700 cubic meters of illegal logs, KLM Mitra Setia with 500 cubic meters of logs. Another ship with 600 cubic meters of logs was still not identified.

"We are still detaining all of the ships as we need to further investigate them," said Siswandi.

Previously, the Cirebon Customs and Excise Office also detained 19 illegal containers, allegedly containing luxury cars and electronic goods. Later it released 17 of the containers, saying only two held illegal goods.

But that action sparked strong protests from the Cirebon legislative council, students and youth activists.