Garment factory workers strike

Garment factory workers strike

JAKARTA (JP): About 600 workers of a garment factory in east
Depok went on strike yesterday, demanding their wages which have
been suspended for the last three consecutive months.

The strike started at 7:15 a.m. on the grounds of PT Busan
Surya Jaya on Jl. H. Dimun.

According to the workers, most of whom are women, the
company's management had broken their promises many times to pay
the employees.

"They have often pledged that they would pay us soon, but they
have yet to do so," said one of the protesters.

The management, for instance, had set Nov. 5 as the workers'
payday but have postponed it several times, said the on-strike
workers.

The protesters also wanted their employers to meet the local
minimum wage of Rp 5,700 per day and provide sufficient overtime
pay.

The workers said some of their fellow employees were still
paid only Rp 4,800 per day, while the highest pay rate was Rp
5,850 per day.

The employees vowed that they would continue the strike until
their demands were met.

An executive of the firm, Hay Zen Kim, was quoted by Antara as
saying that the company was unable to withdraw its deposits at a
bank, causing the delay of payment for the workers.

Kim, however, refused to comment further whether or not the
bank was one of the 16 ailing private banks recently closed down
by the government.

The company is not the only firm in the country which is
facing financial problems following the liquidation of the 16
banks and the monetary crisis.

A group of security force members were seen on guard around
the factory complex yesterday. (bsr)