Seaport workers in demonstration
Seaport workers in demonstration
JAKARTA (JP): More than 500 workers of PT Maju Terus Jaya, a
container company at Tanjung Priok seaport, North Jakarta, staged
a strike demonstration early on Monday in the grounds of the
House of Representatives, demanding immediate solutions to labor
disputes and a thorough investigation into human rights abuses in
the company.
The demonstrators, from Indonesian Solidarity for Workers of
Seaport Transportation (SBTPI), parked 16 container vehicles
along Jl. Gatot Subroto to attract public attention, causing a
heavy traffic jam along the highway between the Semanggi
cloverleaf and the Slipi flyover.
While sitting on top of the container vehicles, demonstrators
shouted about the unsatisfactory labor conditions and physical
abuse of workers in the company.
Mangaldi Aritonang, coordinator of the demonstrators, said
they wanted to meet with the House leadership at the presence of
the company's management and Minister of Manpower and
Transmigration Jacob Nua Wea to seek a fair solution to labor
disputes and human rights abuses in the company.
He said the dispute between the workers and the management had
occurred because of the company's failure to pay the monthly
minimum wage, violations of social security law and the frequent
physical abuse of workers in the company.
"A majority of the 1,200 workers, who are employed as
container drivers and porters, are paid only around Rp 200,000
per month and are not included in the social security program
(Jamsostek). Several workers who have militantly fought for fair
payment in line with the minimum wage have been physically abused
by soldiers from the Army," he said.
Mangaldi said the workers and the management had on three
occasions negotiated on the disputes but Lukman Sutjipto,
president of the company, had turned down their demands because
they were not considered to be (formal) workers.
The demonstrators also threatened to blockade all routes to
the seaport through major strikes in a few days time if the House
and the government failed to pay serious attention to their
disputes with the management.
"We will stage a major strike to terminate all activities in
the seaport if the government and the House do not pay attention
to the exploitation of labor and torture of workers in their
workplace," said Mangaldi.
Meanwhile, a member of staff of the company, contacted via
telephone, declined to comment on the workers' demands, saying
the company's president was not available at his office.
"Sorry, I cannot comment on the dispute and unfortunately, the
big boss is not available," said the member of staff, who
declined to identify himself. (rms)