City sweepers go on strike

City sweepers go on strike

Some 300 street sweepers hired by a private company in South
Jakarta have been on strike since Sunday to protest the delay in
the payment of their wages.

The sweepers said they had not yet received their wages for
the last three months.

The demonstrations took place in front of the PT Mori Desa
office, one of the four private companies that employs street
sweepers in the mayoralty.

South Jakarta's assistant coordinator for economy and
development, Mustari, was quoted by Antara as saying that the
money for the salaries had already been made available and should
be promptly given to them.

"You should ask the officials of the companies that employ the
street sweepers," Mustari said.

The cleaning of city streets in South Jakarta is commissioned
to private companies -- PT Mori Desa, PT Anggun Budi Lestari, PT
Jonathan Bersaudara and PT GMT -- with a total monthly budget of
Rp 200 million (US$92,721.3).

The sweepers are responsible for cleaning the Blok M area, the
surrounding streets of the South Jakarta mayoralty, Jl.
Sisingamangaraja, Mayestik market and the roads near Melawai and
Bulungan sports complex.(mds)