Dismissed workers threaten to occupy Shangri-La hotel
Dismissed workers threaten to occupy Shangri-La hotel
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of employees of the Shangri-La Hotel
staged a rally in front of the Hotel on Jl. Jend. Sudirman,
Central Jakarta, on Thursday and threatened to occupy the
building if the management failed to reemploy dismissed workers.
"At least 1,200 workers and their families will be sent to
occupy the hotel if the management refuses to reemploy us,"
spokesman for the Shangri-La Independent Workers' Union (SPMS)
Budi Susanto told The Jakarta Post.
Budi said the hotel's management had so far decided to dismiss
420 members of the union because they had participated in the
strikes staged between Dec. 22. and Dec. 26.
He said that the union viewed the dismissals as "arbitrary"
and demanded that the management reemploy the workers.
During Thursday's rally, the workers also tried to open the
union's office in the hotel basement but failed as the hotel was
locked, as it has been since the strike started.
Wearing white headbands and carrying posters, the workers's
attempts to enter the hotel grounds were foiled by dozens of
police officers.
"That's our office because we are still the hotel's workers,"
Budi asserted.
He said the rally was also aimed at preventing the hotel from
resuming operations as the dispute with the workers had yet to be
resolved.
He claimed the hotel's management was currently recruiting
temporary workers to take over from the striking workers, and
planned to resume operations.
The hotel's general manager Peter J. Carmichael "was still at
a meeting" and could not be reached for comment on Thursday
The strike was triggered by the suspension of the union's
chairman Halilintar Nurdin who was accused of encouraging the
union's 900 members to join the strike.
The workers demands include not only the lifting of
Halilintar's suspension, but also the equal sharing out of the
hotel's service charges and the establishment of a pension fund.
Instead of meeting the workers' demands, the management
dismissed the members and executives of the union, which is
affiliated to the International Union for Food, Hotel and
Restaurant Workers (IUF).
The IUF has expressed its support and promised international
pressure on the hotel chain, owned by Malaysian tycoon Robert
Kuok.
The union's headquarters in Sydney has also sent letters to
President Abdurrahman Wahid and Minister of Manpower and
Transmigration Alhilal Hamdi to help the striking workers.
During a hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission
VII for Manpower and Social Welfare Affairs last week, the
Shangri-La's Asia Chief Operating Officer John Segreti rejected
the house's suggestion that the dismissals be postponed and that
discussions be held.
"We regret that we cannot sacrifice our principles and our
legal rights," Segreti said.
The workers and their lawyers from the Jakarta Legal Aid
Institute took the view that Segreti's statement showed his
arrogance and undermined the House.
A meeting between the union and the management held on Monday
at the Manpower Ministry's city office between the union and
management failed to reach agreement
The hotel management has offered compensation of between one
and a half months and three months of basic salary to those
dismissed.
The workers claimed their basic wages were only Rp 280,000
which is below the official minimum wage (UMR) of Rp 384,000 a
month. They said their wages seemed higher as they included
service charges.
The hotel's management denied that the workers were paid below
the UMR as the workers also received a transportation allowance
of Rp 100,000 a month. (jun)