Bandung aircraft workers on strike

BANDUNG, West Java (JP): Over 9,000 workers of state aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia went on another strike on Tuesday to demand company director Jusman S. Djalal step down for failing to eradicate graft in the company and not tripling their basic salary.

The protesters, grouped in the Workers Communication Forum (FKK), blamed the board of directors' failure in curbing corruption and controlling the company's cash flow for their inability to pay their salaries at the demanded rate over the next three years.

"The problem is whether Pak Jusman is committed to meeting our demands," FKK chairman Arief Minardi said during the rally in front of PT Dirgantara's management building on Jl. Padjadjaran.

Jusman, who was inducted nine months ago, argued that the company had only Rp 132 billion in reserve to pay the salaries of 9,300 workers for the next six months.

"We made the basic salaries lower then what they expected to enable us to pay the workers, as we never know what could happen with the country's politics or if we'll receive purchase orders," he remarked.

"We can't afford to fill their demands. We just made it out of the intensive care unit and we still have to repay the company's past debts."

PT Dirgantara was led by former president B.J. Habibie when he was the minister of research and technology. The company suffered massive debts due to mismanagement and a lack of purchase orders.

Jusman said that the workers had proposed that the management take out the capital invested in PT Dirgantara's subsidiary companies to increase the basic salaries.

"The subsidiary companies have given jobs to some 2,000 workers who did not hold any positions here. We did not dismiss them in compliance with FKK's request.

"But we won't meet their demand for a salary hike. We can increase the allowances for transportation, lunch or education for their children if they want," he said.

Jusman claimed that the strike could adversely affect the manufacture of two CN-235 aircraft ordered by the South Korean ministry of defense, which is due by the end of this year. The company is also scheduled to conduct a flying test in Pakistan next Thursday.(25/bby)