3,000 workers on strike to demand two months' pay<\/p>\n
Rusman, Samarinda<\/p>\n
Up to 3,000 workers from two plywood companies in Samarinda, East
\nKalimantan, continued their strike on Monday to demand that the
\nfirms pay their salaries for the last two months.<\/p>\n
Police arrested at least two unidentified men for pointing a
\ntraditional dagger at a protest leader during the strike at PT
\nKalimanis Plywood Industry (KPI) and PT Santi Murni Plywood
\n(SMP).<\/p>\n
The strike started two weeks ago, bringing work at the two
\ncompanies, which are owned by the Hong Kong-based Shine Hill
\nLimited, to a halt.<\/p>\n
\"We are just seeking certainty as to when our salaries will be
\npaid. The workers are not asking for anything else,\" said Benny
\nPutti, a representative of the protesters.<\/p>\n
He said the companies, located in the Selili area, had
\ncontinued to make empty promises to pay their workers.<\/p>\n
\"Most of the workers have families and must pay the school
\nfees of their children. In addition, they have also run up debts
\nwith food stalls and have to pay their house rents.<\/p>\n
\"Please take note of our fate. People should not be treated as
\nslaves,\" Benny said.<\/p>\n
Benny and other representatives of the protesting workers were
\nreceived by Wahyudi Manaf, the operational affairs head of the
\ntwo companies.<\/p>\n
Wahyudi admitted that the workers' salaries had not been paid
\nfor two months as the companies had failed to achieve their sales
\ntargets.<\/p>\n
The firms had targeted the sale of at least 7,000 sheets of
\nplywood per month but had managed to sell only between 4,000 and
\n5,000 sheets of plywood per month, he said.<\/p>\n
This had affected production costs, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Apart from that, a timber shipment had experienced delays,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
However, Wahyudi said the management had agreed to pay the
\nworkers Rp 1.5 billion (US$166,666) as a stopgap measure until
\nthey were paid their salaries.<\/p>\n
Each of them would receive Rp 500,000, although they were
\nentitled to salaries of between Rp 800,000 and Rp 1 million each
\nper month.<\/p>\n
\"The money will be distributed to the employees this week. As
\nregards the reminder of what they are due, this will be discussed
\nby their representatives and the management to decide on how it
\ncan be paid,\" Wahyudi said.<\/p>\n
Monday's protest was marred by a minor clash when two
\nunidentified men pointed a traditional dagger at Ismet, the
\nleader of East Kalimantan branch of the Indonesian Workers
\nNational Struggle Front (FNPBI), who was accompanying the
\nprotesters.<\/p>\n
The strikers later attacked the two men, beating them with
\nsticks. The two were taken by police to a station in Samarinda
\nafter the incident, which took place at around 10:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
A policeman who tried to protect the two men was also
\nattacked.<\/p>\n
\"If the men had not been protected by us, they could have been
\nkilled by the emotional mob,\" said Samarinda Ilir Police chief
\nAdj. Comr. Bharata, who was at the scene.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/3000-workers-on-strike-to-demand-two-months-pay-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}