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)