Garment workers stage rally

TANGERANG: Dozens of workers from PT Shinta Woosung, a textile producer in Cikupa district, Tangerang, staged a rally at the Tangerang regency legislative council office on Tuesday.

They went to the office to protest the police arrest of a worker, Burhan, accused of stealing a discarded iron plate from the company .

Company SPSI (All-Indonesia Workers' Union) chairman Abdur Rahim said that Burhan had been arrested by Cikupa police following a tip-off from the company's production manager last week.

"The police should not have arrested Burhan as he only took the iron plate from the company's garbage dump," Rahim said.

According to Rahim, the production manager had earlier had a quarrel with Burhan after he saw him take the 40 centimeter (cm) by 5 cm plate.

The workers demanded the council assist in releasing Burhan from what they considered to be an arbitrary arrest.

Council Commission A secretary Edy Poerwanto, who met the workers, said that the council would soon summon the company management to investigate what had really happened. --JP