Labor dispute settled

JAKARTA (JP): The employees and management of PT Duta Busana Danastri garment factory have agreed to abolish the controversial night shift system that the company introduced as a subtle way to kick out protesting workers.

The company also agreed in a meeting sponsored by the National Commission on Human Rights on Saturday not to dismiss the protesting workers.

No less than the commission's secretary general, Baharuddin Lopa, and a high ranking official of the Ministry of Manpower, Amrinal, mediated the meeting between nine labor leaders, three legal representatives of the protesters and two managers and a lawyer for the company.

In a related development, the management denied that its prominent customer, the San Francisco-based Levi Strauss & Co, the manufacturer of Levi's and Dockers clothing, had formally stopped placing orders with the Jakarta-based PT Duta Busana Danastri.

"We're sure that Levi Strauss is not reckless enough to break our relationship. And we're sure that Levi Strauss will examine the problem objectively," vice-chairwoman Elliani Sapta Dewi said, referring to the recent statement by the jeans giant which stated that it has decided to terminate its contract with PT Duta Busana.

According to Lopa, both sides were satisfied with the progress made at the two-hour meeting, adding that the next round of talks would be held at the company's office.

"The commission and the ministry, however, will lend a helping hand in case the negotiations wind up deadlocked," he said.(09)