State-owned public transportation operator PT Damri held a test for kenek (bus helpers) on June 14 that saw hundreds of them lose their jobs.

“Damri knows all about the role of kenek in helping passengers by carrying baggage and checking tickets. Passengers may also pay these helpers for tickets, even though officially no cash payments are allowed inside the bus,” stated a Damri press release from June 19.

Damri said kenek were not tied to the company, did not work specific hours and were informal workers hired by the drivers.

“Acknowledging the importance of formal employment and the role of helpers, we have organized a test to give helpers the status of formal employees with Damri as part-time or full-time workers,” said the press release.

The restructuring of human resources is deemed important as the company moves toward e-ticketing, and helpers passing the test are to be placed at specific locations in accordance with the company’s needs.

Damri’s move toward e-ticketing follows the example of bus companies in other countries, many of which have embraced e-ticketing and where drivers manage their vehicles without any helpers.

This assumes that passengers take care of their own baggage and check their tickets without the services of helpers.

The loss of helpers in Damri airport buses, however, has raised questions about the new structure, particularly as drivers appear to have become reliant on them over the years.

Several drivers described the helpers as essential for assisting them on their daily routes.

“The driver has now taken over the job of two people. The question is, if anything were to happen because of this workload, who’s willing to take the responsibility?” asked Firman Hadi, a senior Damri driver.

A journey to the airport with a Damri bus starts from a terminal, where tickets can usually be bought at a counter. After leaving the terminal, all bus management duties fall on the driver.

The bus rides now take longer because of a mid-trip stop for the driver to get out of his seat to check the tickets of passengers and store their baggage.

Firman said the driver’s responsibility was now huge, and if a passenger was charged the wrong price or if items were lost, drivers were the ones to make up for the loss using their own money.

“Damri tickets are usually Rp 40,000 (US$2.84), and items, depending on the passenger’s claims, can reach up to Rp 16 million,” Firman said.

A driver who attempted to use a helper on his route was summoned to the head office, Firman said.

He said he believed Damri’s motive for no longer allowing helpers was to cut costs, as the monthly salary of a registered helper was about Rp 1 million.

Passengers have also expressed concern over the lack of helpers on buses.

“Helpers are needed to make it easier for the driver and to remind passengers of their stop if they fall asleep on the trip,” said Eugene Kharisma, a Damri passenger departing from Pasar Minggu Station.

Frequent Damri traveler Siti Sobariah expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of helpers.

“Taking Damri [buses] is no longer enjoyable. The drivers should focus on the road and not worry about carrying baggage or checking tickets; it’s incredibly inefficient,” Siti said.

Firman said he did not know whether the dismissal was a temporary or permanent measure.

“If the helpers are gone, it won’t take long before drivers start resigning because of the workload,” Firman said.

The ones with the biggest uncertainty are the helpers, most of whom are now jobless.

Virgi Irgi Alamsyah, a former Damri helper, said he had only been informed on June 13 that all helpers had to take the test and that the employment of helpers who did not attend would be automatically terminated.

Ahmad Yani, a Damri bus helper for 12 years, was told after failing the test that the company would facilitate to get helpers who had failed employed as airport porters but that they could no longer work on the bus.

“Questions in the test were what the acronym Damri stands for, who the SOE [State-Owned Enterprises] minister is and things like that,” Ahmad said.

Both bus drivers and helpers have described the job profile of helpers as ticketing, baggage lifting or tagging, bus maintenance and, to a lesser extent, security.

A former helper who wishes to remain anonymous said around 300 of 382 officially registered helpers of Damri had taken the test.

Unlike Ahmad, he passed.

“Ninety helpers passed the test but resigned in solidarity with their fellow helpers. They consider it unfair that their seniors, who have worked six to 12 years, are suddenly out of a job.”

On June 15, footage of helpers protesting at the Damri branch office at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport surfaced online. (tru)

Popular

Pro-Prabowo parties close ranks to scrap direct regional elections

6% economic growth in 2026 within reach, Purbaya says

Authoritarian fears loom as new criminal code takes effect