Garment workers end strike

JAKARTA (JP): Around 400 employees, mostly women, from a garment factory in East Jakarta went on strike yesterday, demanding transportation allowances and overtime pay for working on Sundays.

The employees of PT Amsia Trimitra on Jl. Suci in the Ciracas district were also asking for menstruation leave.

There were no incidents of violence reported in the strike, which started at 8:00 a.m. yesterday and lasted into the evening.

One protester said that the company does pay its employees the regional daily minimum wage of Rp 5,200 (US$2.26) a day. But, she added, "we have never received Sunday overtime work pay or a transportation allowance."

"Our representatives are now negotiating with the management," added the woman who asked not to be identified.

On Thursday, workers at a cable factory filed a complaint with the city council regarding welfare benefits.

The 12 workers at PT Indo Trijaya Industry, claiming to represent 500 others, asked the council's commission E for social welfare to help them settle their dispute with the company.

Ahmad Riyadi, spokesman for the workers, said that they were asking the company to increase their transport and lunch allowances and to enroll them in a health insurance program.

"We demand that the company increase our transportation allowance from Rp 600 (US 26 cents) to Rp 1,800 and our lunch allowance from Rp 800 to Rp 1,500 per day," Ahmad told members of the commission.

The workers, many of whom have been working for the company for more than 20 years, said the current allowances are not sufficient, especially since bus fares were raised last month.

The government raised minibus fares from Rp 300 to Rp 400 minibus, and regular bus fares from Rp 250 to Rp 300.

He also said that the company has been violating a manpower ministry regulation on wages by paying a 25-day salary instead of a 30-day monthly salary as required by law.

He said that the complaint would be their last attempt to force the company to fulfill their demands as their strikes and other actions have all failed.

Commission E head Atje Mulyadi said the commission will soon invite the company's management to give its side of the story. (jun/yns)