Hundreds of workers demand better wages

JAKARTA (JP): Around 300 employees of a garment factory in the Pulogadung industrial zone in East Jakarta staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Manpower here yesterday to demand better wages and working conditions.

The striking workers, mostly women, said they staged the rally to inform Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief of the poor working conditions at the factory, PT Arrego, and to push its management to respect the workers' rights.

Seven representatives of the workers were later received by officers of the Directorate of Labor Standards while the rest were forced by the police and military officers to leave the ministry complex.

A military officer said they feared that the strike would turn into riot.

The director of the Directorate of Labor Standard, Ceppi Alwoei, told the seven delegates at the meeting that they could go to the local commission that handles labor conflicts to present their case.

Meanwhile Mursyiah, 39, one of workers who said she has worked at the company for 13 years, told The Jakarta Post at the ministry compound, "We have tried to negotiate a settlement with company's management and have registered our complaints with the officials of the local Manpower Office, but no actions have been taken."

She said that none of the workers who work on a daily-pay basis there have ever received transportation or meal allowances.

"We receive only the minimum daily wage of Rp 3,800 (US$1.60) and that's all," she said.

Mursyiah said that almost all of the factory's 600 workers have no other choice than to work overtime everyday for only Rp 500 an hour.

She said she and her colleagues accept the pay, otherwise they cannot make ends meet.

Isroya, 40, another female striker, complained over the lack of concern by officials of the government-backed SPSI labor organization unit at the factory and the local office of the manpower ministry over their struggle, saying "they may have been bribed by the management."

"The SPSI officials should have joined us in this strike, but they did not; the local manpower ministry office has repeatedly pledged to help solve our problems but they have taken no actions," she said.

Isroya said she and her colleagues are primarily poorly educated and have no skills whatsoever, still the management should not exploit them to earn bigger profits. (rms)