Firm! Frequently Squeezing Passengers At Larantuka Port, Regency Government Disbands Porter Organization

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

NTT - The government of East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has disbanded the Larantuka Port Porters organization due to the emergence of extortion cases against ship passengers who docked at the local seaport.

"We have disbanded the Larantuka Port Porters Organization because it often extorts passengers from the PT Pelni ship and is difficult to control", said East Flores Deputy Regent, Agustinus Payong Boli, when confirmed from Kupang, Antara, Wednesday, November 3.

The dissolution of this labor/porter organization was carried out after the reappearance of cases of violent extortion against ship passengers on the grounds of paying for goods transportation services.

Agustinus said that he directly chaired an integrated meeting involving representatives from various elements from the East Flores Regional Government, the Larantuka Syahbandar Office, PT Pelni, the Management of the Loading, and Unloading Manpower Organization (TKBM) of the Larantuka Port, and elements of the local TNI-Police.

One of the important decisions taken, he said, was to disband the Larantuka Port Porters organization whose members are often reported to have committed extortion and violence against ship passengers docked at Larantuka Harbor.

He explained that the porters would later officially join the official organization of the Larantuka TKBM Port to facilitate supervision and fulfillment of labor rights such as social security, economic empowerment, and so on.

"Supervision of workers is easier based on name and address (by name by address) if there is a problem and guarantees passenger comfort", he said.

Agustinus further explained that in addition to the disbandment of the organization, his party also set an official tariff for TKBM for mechanical and non-mechanical categories which would be published through billboards at Larantuka Port.

In addition, it decided to have a security post and a joint complaint at the Larantuka Port consisting of elements of the TNI-Police, Syahbandar, PT Pelni, and the East Flores Regional Government.

He added that if in the future the workers gathered in the TKBM violate the stipulated provisions, they will face the threat of sanctions in the form of compensation, dismissal of the TKBM membership to legal proceedings.