Recently, PT Angkasa Pura II, the state-owned company that manages Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport, changed the way luggage porters at the airport earn their money. The porters, who had long been a feature at the airport, are now paid minimum wage rather than relying solely on tips from customers as they were previously.
But it seems while the change gives the porters — now officially called “airport helpers” — more economic stability, it might not have had the desired effect on their productivity.
The video, which recently went viral on social media, shows some airport helpers standing around while people carry their luggages. As most seasoned Jakarta travelers will tell you, the men shown are clearly a lot less proactive in offering their services than they had been in the tip-based days.
While the video might have just cherry-picked a few isolated incidents and may not be reflective of all airport helpers, PT Angkasa Pura II has nonetheless taken the issue seriously.
“We express our gratitude to the uploader of the video. For us, this is a trigger for positive change,” said PT Angkasa Pura II Corporate Secretary Agus Haryadi, as quoted by Tempo today.
According to Agus, PT Angkasa Pura II has hired 16 supervisors to ensure that the airport’s 805 helpers actually do their jobs. Another aspect that the supervisors will look out for is if the airport helpers still ask for tips despite the new rule.
Agus added that helpers who are found to not be doing their jobs well will be evaluated at the end of the month.
