Bank employees complain to legislators

JAKARTA (JP): Twenty-five HongkongBank employees have filed a complaint with the House of Representatives over a deadlock in negotiations with the bank's management.

The negotiations reportedly concern differences regarding the Collective Labor Agreement.

The employees resorted to reporting to the House owing to discontent over actions taken by the management during a strike, which started last Wednesday.

More than 200 of their fellow workers were on strike at the World Trade Center on Friday, sitting around and holding up banners. The bank, however, operated as usual with around 150 of its contract workers.

The employees said they would continue their strike today.

The 25 delegates told the four legislators of the Golkar faction at the House on Friday that the management had locked all doors to the bank's departments, the prayer room, and the All Indonesia Workers Union office on Thursday.

"Worst of all, the management locked 35 staffers in a room from 9 a.m. to noon yesterday without toilet facilities," Ugianto, the head of the union, said on Friday.

The workers complained that three pregnant women who had to go to the toilet had suffered unduly because they could not get out of the room. The workers added that nobody could get out until after someone called the police.

"We have been too patient all this time, but their actions can no longer be tolerated," Ugianto said.

The workers have been on strike since Wednesday, after they and the management failed to reach agreement on the Collective Labor Agreement in the latest negotiations mediated by the Ministry of Manpower.

The workers striking at the bank said on Friday they would remain on strike until the management meets their demands, which are an 8.9 percent general salary increase and better medical allowances, housing loans and pension fund.

So far general salary increases have been given once every two years, with the amount being negotiated.

Despite dozens of talks with the management and Ministry of Manpower officers since January, none of the workers' requests have been met by the management.

The bank's public relations manager, Leila Djafar, said on Friday that the management would not increase their salaries because "their wages are at the highest standard among all banks in this country".

"As stated previously, the management will give them a 15 percent to 16 percent increase each year based on the inflation rate and the worker's performance appraisal, not a general salary increase," she said.

She acknowledged that the management locked the room on Thursday, but denied knowing that 35 of the striking employees were inside.

She said that because negotiations with Ministry of Manpower are still going on, the management regards the strike as illegal.

"We are waiting for input from the manpower ministry on what to do next on the basis of our last tripartite meeting on Wednesday," she said.

Legislator Ben Messakh said on Friday that the House would soon hold a meeting involving the workers, the management and ministry officials to discuss the matter. (03)