PPD management agrees to 120-percent salary hike

PPD management agrees to 120-percent salary hike

JAKARTA (JP): The board of directors at the state-owned Perum
PPD bus company has agreed to meet workers' demands for a 120-
percent wage hike, which will be implemented in stages over a
six-month period starting with July salaries.

The decision was stated in a letter signed by five top PPD
executives on Tuesday, the day the thousands of workers ended
their two-day strike.

In the letter, shown to The Jakarta Post on Friday by PPD
employees at the company's East Jakarta headquarters, the five
directors -- president Anton Sudarto, finance director A.
Muchlasin Rosjid, operations director Sjamsul Bachri, technical
director Jaman S. Ginting and general affairs director Sudarti
Ibrahim -- pledged to resign from their posts if they failed to
keep their promises.

According to the PPD bosses, the workers would enjoy the first
30 percent pay rise in their July salaries, which they would
receive on Aug. 1.

"Three months later, the raise would reach 90 percent from
their current salary. Another three months later, the total
amount of their salary would be 120 percent higher than the
current one," explained Tony Royani, a personnel affairs employee
at the company.

Thousands of drivers, conductors and administration staff at
the company held a massive strike on Monday and Tuesday at the
Ministry of Communications, demanding a raise in their wages,
which have not been increased over the past seven years.

Their unexpected move stranded thousands of passengers
throughout the capital and in other areas in the nearby cities of
Tangerang and Bekasi.

The PPD workers only abandoned the strike on Tuesday afternoon
after Minister of Communications Giri Suseno Hadihardjono told
the protesters outside his office that he and his staff would
work to meet their demands.

During the meeting with the group of about 400 workers, Giri
acknowledged the company had suffered losses, particularly during
the economic hardship.

According to Tony, the PPD executives have no choice but to
keep their promise.

"If there is no raise in their wages on Aug. 1, the workers
will make a move again," he warned.

Optimism

But Tony was optimistic that the PPD board of directors could
meet their promise this time since they had given their assurance
"to resign if the wage hike could not be implemented".

"The board of directors also has a moral obligation to meet
the workers' demands because they promised to raise their
salary," he said.

According to Tony, the average monthly salary of the drivers
was between Rp 88,000 and Rp 150,000.

"Like the other staff, the drivers' salary is based on a 1992
government decree, but the difference is that the staff at the
other department have enjoyed wage rises since 1997 along with
the other civil servants across the country. But not the
drivers," he said.

He quoted the PPD executives as saying at that time that the
company conditions "made it impossible for the board of directors
to increase the drivers' salary".

Some of the bus drivers who went on strike early this week
told the Post that they would stop driving again if PPD broke its
promise.

"We'll hold a massive strike again if we find no hike in our
salary early next month," said Edison Tampubolon, a driver based
at the Cililitan bus pool.

Edison said he was paid Rp 134,00 per month by PPD.

A fellow driver, Arsono, said he hoped the government could
this time keep its word for the sake of the welfare of the
workers and their families.

A 120 percent hike in their salary would help the bus crews,
their wives and children cope with the escalating cost of goods
and services.(asa)