PPD bus drivers' strike leaves thousands stranded

JAKARTA (JP): More than 1,500 employees, mostly drivers, of state bus firm Perum PPD went on strike on Wednesday, demanding last month's salary, pension and insurance payment, while thousands of bus passengers were stranded.

The protesters, arriving in around 100 buses at the Ministry of Transportation and Communication on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, complained that the company had not paid last month's salary and the remaining half of their salary in February.

Unfurling posters and banners, they also demanded that the government replace the firm's current board of directors with honest people.

Due to the strike, thousands of people were stranded in various places across the city, despite the fact that the authorities deployed 219 buses to cope with the problem.

The rally at the ministry lasted for six hours as representatives of the demonstrators refused to discuss their demand with the ministry's land transportation general director, Susmono Soesilo. They insisted on meeting with Minister of Transportation and Communication Agum Gumelar, who was attending a Cabinet meeting.

Agum finally received five representatives of the workers in the afternoon.

PPD's acting president Muchlasin R. admitted that salaries were paid late because the company was still suffering from monthly losses of Rp. 2.3 billion (US$230,000).

"We have been helped by the Ministry of Finance, but the disbursement of the fund has not been smooth," Muchlasin told workers.

He said the company earned Rp 5.6 billion every month from the operation of its 525 buses while spending Rp 4.1 billion for workers' salaries and allowances, and a further Rp 900 million for fuel.

Without mentioning the amount, he said the company's income was also used for maintenance costs, including the purchasing of bus spare parts.

The company reportedly suffered Rp 400 billion losses from 1998 until last year. The government, which canceled its plan to liquidate the firm, had to subsidize it with Rp 2.3 billion a month.

Agum regretted that drivers were staging rallies as he claimed that the government was still trying to improve the company's management.

"We have prevented the company from liquidation but the workers do not show any thanks," Agum told reporters.

He pledged to take action against certain company workers for inciting colleagues to stage the strike on several occasions over the past few months.

He viewed employees' demands were no longer "normal", saying that certain groups were trying to take advantage and wanted the company to become bankrupt.

"Their demands are too much and no longer normal," he said.

"It's as if we are giving 'milk' by healing the (ailing) firm, but the workers give us poison in return. We have to take stern action," he said.

The striking drivers are mostly members of the Indonesian Welfare Workers Union (SBSI)'s transportation division.

Muchlasin said the bus management's efforts to heal the firm include a plan to buy 100 new buses which would be financed by investor PT Folgreen Indonesia, to replace current old buses.

He said the management was also trying to reduce the current ratio of one bus to 10 employees, into five workers to one bus.

Separately, City Land Transportation and Traffic Control Agency (DLLAJ) head Buyung Atang said his agency had deployed 219 additional buses, from Mayasari and Steady Safe bus firms, to aide stranded passengers.

But he admitted that there were still stranded passengers at terminals and on PPD bus routes. (jun)