Bridge meet interrupted by workers' strike at hotel
Bridge meet interrupted by workers' strike at hotel
TANGERANG (JP): Some 200 workers of five-star Imperial Century
Hotel in Lippo Karawaci staged a strike on Monday, paralyzing
almost all of the hotel's activities, including a meeting of
Pacific-Asia Bridge Federation (PABF).
"We are demanding full health insurance coverage for workers
and our family members, allowance to pay for the loss and
breakage retention of hotel goods and a daily transportation
allowance of Rp 7,000 (85 U.S. cents) for all workers," said the
chairman of the hotel's workers union, Ronny Kusman.
"We also demand an annual salary hike and a year-end party."
The workers also called for the dismissal of general manager
Douglas Wallace and financial controller Hendri Elfis for
disrespectful behavior.
"They always act rudely and tell off the workers," employee
Otman told The Jakarta Post.
The strike practically halted all of the hotel's services as
most employees, except the receptionists, joined the strike.
Many participants in the fourth PABF congress, which opened on
Friday, repeatedly complained about the situation.
The meeting was moved to another hotel.
The strike ended with negotiations between the workers and
hotel management under mediation from an official from the
Ministry of Manpower's Tangerang office, Aman Setiawan, and a
representative of the Tangerang branch of the All Indonesian
Workers Union Federation (FSPSI), Arsad Ahmad.
It was decided the hotel management would pay a transportation
allowance of Rp 4,000 per day for workers living in Tangerang and
Rp 6,000 for those residing outside the area, such as Jakarta.
Based on the deal, the workers will also get an annual salary
raise, depending on the length of their service, performance and
the hotel's financial condition.
It was also agreed there would be 80 percent coverage of
health insurance for workers and their family members.
Interviewed separately, evening on-duty manager of the hotel
Eka Tresna said the strike lasted for several hours from 2 p.m.
He said there was no foundation to the employees' allegations.
"The accusation that our top managers are rude is groundless,"
he told the Post over the phone.
"It's also untrue our service was halted due to the strike."
(41/nvn)