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JAKARTA: The national shipping businesses file an appeal against a Joint Decision Letter (SKB) of Three Ministers that requires all handling activities at ports to involve handling worker cooperatives (TKBM).
Chairperson of the Indonesian National Shipowners' Association (INSA) Johnson W. Sutjipto revealed the annual members meeting had decided the association would file an appeal against the SKB.
The SKB, signed by director general-level officials at the Ministry of Transportation, State Minister for Cooperatives and SMEs, and the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, requires all handling activities at ports to involve handling worker cooperatives (TKBM).
"The appeal will be registered in the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) since the regulation has created a monopoly in the handling worker sector. We will bring it to the KPPU," he told Bisnis yesterday.
According to Johnson, the association had been preparing the content of the lawsuit by making a consolidation with the stakeholders. "Many parties have been complaining about the monopoly."
He exposed the INSA had long urged the government to review the policy since it was not relevant to be applied to ports in Indonesia.
Gayo Syamsuddin, Chairperson of the Banjarmasin INSA, added the presence of TKBM at several big ports in Indonesia had instead injured national shipping operators.
"At ports, it has been common that the factor determining the smoothness of handling activities is TKBM instead of ship schedule," he said recently.
President Director of state port operator IV Alfred Natsir also complained about the monopoly of TKBM.
"Therefore, if the INSA is interested in bringing the case to the KPPU, it will be positive in spurring handling productivity at ports."
Secretary to the Directorate General of Sea Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation Bobby R. Mamahit said the institution would be ready to sit together with other ministries to revise the SKB to bolter handling productivity.
No monopoly
According to him, there was no handling worker monopoly as alleged by the INSA.
"There is no monopoly, but we are willing to sit at one table with the stakeholders to revise the SKB."
Bobby admitted it was normal to evaluate the SKB since the legislation had been old.
Johnson explained the INSA Annual Member Meeting last week recommended the government revoke the SKB and replace it with government regulation (PP) or Ministry of Transportation Regulation.
The INSA also suggested the regulation on TKBM ban handling worker monopoly at ports and encourage other handling companies to be more competitive.
Johnson added the regulation on handling worker is inked in Minister of Transportation Regulation 11/2007 on Guidance to Container Handling Service Tariffs.
Article 13 clause 1 of Minister of Transportation Regulation states TKBM for stevedoring is fixed at one gang consisting of 12 workers. In the meantime, clause 2 reads that TKBM daily pay per worker per shift is based on provincial minimum wage.
However, according to Johnson, many TKBMs applied package system instead if shift one, leading to 30 workers doing handling activities for 24 hours.
He explained TKBM applied a package pay of IDR174,000 per box at Samarinda port and a package pay of IDR7,000 per box at Tanjung Priok Jakarta, Tanjung Perak Surabaya, and Makassar.
Johnson added Minister of Transportation Decree (KM) 35/2007 on Guidance to Container Handling Service Tariffs from and to Ships at Ports divides one day into three 8-hour shifts with one resting hour. (Bisnis/aji)
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http://www.bisnis.com/pls/bisnis/bisnis.cetak?inw_id=739761
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