Traders want postponement of marketplace removal

Traders want postponement of marketplace removal

JAKARTA (JP): A group of traders of the Makasar subdistrict in
Halim, East Jakarta, staged a protest yesterday, demanding a
postponement of plans to build a swimming pool on the market
site.

"We are strongly against the plan as it will cause us to lose
our customers as soon as we move to the new market," Kamid, head
of the delegation, told the City Council's Commission B which is
in charge of economic affairs.

Kamid explained that the traders were forced to move to the
new market because the Air Force, which owns the land on which
the old market is standing, will build a swimming pool there.

He explained that the old market was built in 1985, with the
approval of the Air Force, to accommodate small traders who were
frequently chased out of the area by law enforcement officers at
the time.

"The officers did stop their law enforcement operation once we
settled down in the market," Kamid added.

Until nine months ago the Air Force Foundation collected fees
from traders, despite disapproval from the East Jakarta Mayoralty
on the grounds that the market was considered illegal, he said.

Kamid reiterated that he and his colleagues do not want to
move because the new market is located far from regular customers
and they fear that they will lose them, thereby causing them
losses. Moreover, the new market, the plan of which is opposed by
local people, floods during the rainy season, he added.

After reviewing the report, Abdulgani H. Abdullah, chairman of
the commission, urged the traders to obey the order because there
is no hope for them to maintain the old market.

"Their removal to the new market is in line with East Jakarta
Mayoralty's plan to reorganize the market places in the area,"
Abdullah said.

Abdullah also promised to question the mayoralty's decision to
ask traders to move to the new site despite there being
inadequate kiosks in the new market to accommodate all the
traders.

"The new market only has 140 kiosks while there are 281
traders in the old market," Kamid said.

Textile employees

Meanwhile, seven staff members of PT Star Camtex, a textile
firm in North Jakarta, also protested to the City Council
yesterday because the company tried to force them to sign letters
of resignation.

"We were initially suspended for one month but then the
management tried to force us to sign a letter of resignation,"
said Alimaroh, spokesperson of the employees, adding that they
refused the order because signing meant they would not be
entitled to severance pay.

They said that they were suspended because they often left
their jobs. However, they claimed the reason they frequently did
so was because their Korean boss treats them badly.

"He is too demanding and rude. He always insists we produce
jackets far beyond the daily quota and when we do he shows no
gratitude whatsoever," Alimaroh said.

They demand that the company fires them and give them
severance pay. (yns)