Water supply guaranteed despite protests

Water supply guaranteed despite protests

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration and two foreign partners
of city water management company PDAM Jaya -- Pam Lyonnaise Jaya
(Palyja) and Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) -- guaranteed on Monday the
city's water supply would not be disrupted despite persistent
protests by PDAM Jaya employees.

Assistant to the city secretary on development affairs Ongky
Sukasah, Palyja commissioner Bernard Lafrogne and TPJ sales and
marketing manager Nani Sariati said all main water installations
were guarded by security officers.

Ongky stressed that the administration and the two foreign
companies were responsible for the security of the eight major
water installations.

Four of the installations -- Buaran, Pulogadung, Condet and
Cilincing -- are under the management of TPJ, while the rest --
Pejompongan I and II, Cilandak and Taman Kota -- are under
Palyja.

Lafrogne said 30 soldiers were on guard at each of the
installations.

"We also anticipated (the situation) by instructing the city's
five mayoralties to help improve security," he said.

PDAM Jaya's president Rama Boedi explained the water
installations were guarded even under normal conditions.

"That's why there is nothing to worry about concerning the
possibility of water disruption," he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of uniformed PDAM Jaya's employees
continued to protest in front of the company's headquarters on
Jl. Penjernihan in Central Jakarta on Monday.

The protest, marked by a free speech forum, began at 8 a.m.
and ended peacefully at 3 p.m. No posters nor banners were
observed during the action.

Lafrogne dismissed as impossible a threat by PDAM Jaya's labor
union to cut off the water supply if its demand for wage
increases and dissolution of the cooperation agreement between
PDAM Jaya and TPJ and Palyja were not met.

"Only a limited number of employees have access to the four
plants under Palyja," he said.

Lafrogne also responded to the "very small" possibility of
PDAM Jaya workers deliberately poisoning the water supply.

"Only tons of poisonous chemicals transferred into the waters
could possibly poison the water, and how is anybody to do that
without getting caught?"

Regarding the union's demand for better wages and allowances,
Lafrogne explained that in line with the Ministry of Finance's
decree issued in June 1998, PDAM Jaya's employee allowances were
to be increased by at least 15 percent by April 1, 1999.

Palyja also increased the take-home pay of 1,500 PDAM Jaya
employees working under it by 20.5 percent, he said.

A protest coordinator, Idris Mansuri, told The Jakarta Post
that the cancellation of the cooperation agreement was essential
because it was reached illegally.

"Governor Sutiyoso has to dissolve the cooperation agreement
by the end of this month at the latest," he said.

"If not, we will conducting another massive protest at City
Hall to push him to quit his post."

The protest involved employees of PDAM Jaya's 26 branches
throughout Jakarta.

Head of the Gading Permai branch in North Jakarta, Bachtiar,
said all of his 43 staff members took part in the protest.

"We are prepared to participate in the protest until our
demands are fulfilled," he said. (01/ylt/ind)