Bimoli employees demand higher wages

JAKARTA (JP): At least 1,300 workers from two factories owned by PT Inti Boga Sejahtera, the makers of Bimoli cooking oil, protested against their employer on Monday, demanding a rise in their salaries.

The workers, in Pluit, North Jakarta, and Sunter, Central Jakarta, demanded their wages be increased by between 60 percent and 70 percent, claiming the wage rise had been denied for two years.

"That is why we small people dare demand such a high salary rise" said an employee, who requested anonymity.

Contacted by telephone, the company's public relations manager Mimi Siregar Hussein said the demand by the workers, who began demonstrating at the Pluit factory at 9 a.m., was too high.

Mimi said the company, which was part of the diversified Salim group, actually gave a 20 percent to 25 percent rise in wages every January.

"The raise depends on two factors: the inflation rate and the merits of the factory worker," she said.

"Each worker will get a rise calculated according to his yearly appraisal, usually set between 20 percent and 25 percent every year. Even if his yearly appraisal is extremely bad, for instance, he will still get a marginal raise... say of 10 percent."

She said that due to the economic crisis, the company, like other businesses in the country, had gone through a very rough time.

"The company's management will take time to determine a suitable percentage for the raise. We will definitely raise their salaries this year," Mimi said.

She said the lowest-paid workers received a monthly salary of Rp 250,000 (US$33.33). (ylt)