Furniture workers go strike

Furniture workers go strike

UJUNGPANDANG: More than 50 workers of a furniture company on
Jl. Ir. Sutami here protested yesterday, demanding an increase in
daily wages.

The workers of Singvlar Furniture, which is Taiwanese-owned,
waved banners saying, "We won't be back to work until our demands
are fulfilled".

The workers said they wanted the company to pay them according
to the regulation. "We are paid Rp 3,400 a day, or Rp 102,000 a
month. But now, after the new regulation effective since April
this year, we get only Rp 102,000 a month plus Rp 3,750," a
worker said.

The workers should have received at least Rp 112,500 per
month, according to the new regulation.

The company's security guards also joined the protest. They
said they did not want to work until their salaries were
increased.

A security guard said he had been working for two years and
received Rp 150,000 monthly.

The protesters said they would stage similar protests at the
Ministry of Manpower office if the management ignored their
request.

It was the third workers' protest in Ujungpandang after
employees of PT Rante Mario, of Humpuss Group, and PT Supreme
Kakao protested for better wages. (37/sur)