Labor dispute settled

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)