Jakarta – Despite a threat from the management of state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga, around 1,000 outsourced workers will go ahead with their plan to strike next week, on Oct. 28, 29 and 30, causing the closure of 14 toll gates in Jakarta and surrounding areas.

"During our action, we will lock the gates. I want to know just how strong the management of PT Jasa Marga is," said Trade Union Association (Aspek) of Indonesia president Mirah Sumirat as reported by tribunnews.com on Thursday.

The workers are employed by PT Jalan Toll Lingkar Luar Jakarta (JLI), a subsidiary of PT Jasa Marga, and are currently building the outer-ring toll roads linking Jakarta with Cikampek, Bekasi, Bogor, Tanjung Priok and Tangerang.

They are striking to demand that PT Jasa Marga upgrade their employment status from outsourced to permanent.

If they go ahead with their planned strike, toll road services from Jakarta to neighboring cities will be seriously disrupted. To avoid this, the city police have called on the workers not to strike.

Jasa Marga spokesman Wasta Gunadi said that the toll road operator would continue to serve commuters to and from Jakarta from Oct. 28 to 30 regardless as it had 4,000 workers ready to fill in for those on strike.

The toll gates that would be closed in the case of a strike are those in Pondok Ranji, Pondok Pinang, Fatmawati, Ampera, Lenteng Agung, Kampung Rambutan, Pasar Rebo, TMII, Setu, Jati Asih, Jati Warna, Bintara, Cikunir and Cakung Barat. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/10/23/toll-road-workers-go-ahead-with-strike-plan.html