Threatened Airport Strike Not Going to Happen

(1/24/2005)

A story in the English-language Jakarta Post on January 14, 2005, and reported on balidiscovery.com has caused the Union representing workers at 13 major airports in Indonesia to issue a clarifying statement regarding a threatened strike that, according to the reports, would have effectively closed the subject airports.

The "Clarification Statement" issued by Chairman of the Union of Angkasa Pura I, the union representing airport workers at the 13 affected airports, said;

• The Union of Angkasa Pura continues to give priority to providing safe flight operations at all the airports where they are employed.

• The Union has struggled for more than 5 years regarding their pension program without achieving any results.

• The Union orignally gave a deadline of December 31, 2004, for the pension issue to be resolved.

• Because of the national disaster in Aceh on December 26, 2004, the Union, out of respect for the state of national mourning, extended that deadline until January 17, 2005.

• If, on January 17, 2005, the outstanding issues surrounding the pension dispute remain unresolved, the Union will demonstrate their concern in the following ways: (1)the wearing of black ribbons by the members of the Union from January 18-20, 2005; (2) the issuance of a NOTAM (Notice to Airman) - an official world-wide alert to aviation companies and aviators, stating that effective January 21, 2005, "the employees of PT Angkasa Pura are no longer in a prime psychological condition due to their struggle for their old age pension" ; (3) this action is intended to draw international and national attention to the feelings of the employees of PT Angkasa Pura; (4) that as long as the "action" continues, the employees represented by the Union shall continue to works as normal; (5) the "action" will continue until their demands that existing pension fund be safeguarded is agreed to by the Minister for State-Owned Enterprises.

In contradiction to the press report, the Union underlined that there is no plan to strike or close the airports or to reduce the safety and security services provided to flight operations.

The Union Chairman said flights will continue to operate with take-offs and landing of aircraft continuing to be supported by their member workers.