Ceramic firm's workers stage strike for bonus

BEKASI, West Java (JP): Around 350 workers at a ceramic producer firm, PT Perkasa Primarindo, went on strike here yesterday demanding full bonuses and transportation allowances.

The strike began after the workers heard rumors that they would only receive 20 percent of their annual bonuses, which were supposed to be the equivalent of one month's salary. The rumors spread quickly among the workers, who became impatient when they had not received their bonuses as scheduled in July. Instead, they received their annual bonuses for the previous year in that month.

Soleh and Sukirno, two of the striking workers, said they did not know who spread the rumors among their colleagues. They confirmed that the management had said nothing about the delay in payment of the bonuses.

Pendy Simanjuntak, a director of the company, told the workers' union yesterday that they would get half of their bonuses on Friday. He said he guaranteed that each worker would receive their bonus without any reductions. He did not say when the other half would be paid.

Soleh, 23, said the workers were also demanding transport allowances. He said the allowance had only been given to certain employees. "We are jealous. We want equal treatment from the management over the daily transport allowance," Soleh, who works at the production department, said.

"Only workers of the administration and packing departments have so far received monthly transport allowances," Soleh said.

Responding to the workers' demand for transport allowance, Pendy said that his firm paid the transport allowance according to its financial capability and priority.

Pendy did not say why priority had been given to the administration and packing departments.

The strike was the third occurring in Bekasi during the last two months.

AT least 2,000 workers of a South Korean tire company, PT Hung-A Indonesia, went on strike early last month to demand better pay and improvement of working conditions.

The management of Hung-A Indonesia said the strike at the Cikarang industrial complex caused more than US$100,000 in financial losses.

Early this week, 350 employees of a private company, antenna- producer PT Howsanindo Industri, protested and threatened to quit their jobs as part of their campaign for meal and transportation allowances.

The strikers broke the company's boundary wall and smashed the windows of the factory's main building. (kod)