Minister relieves himself of noise

Minister relieves himself of noise

JAKARTA (JP): The racket from hundreds of protesting workers
on the ground floor of the Ministry of Manpower has finally
forced Minister Fahmi Idris to take all his work into the toilet
of his office.

"I have no choice but to work at the W.C. Just imagine that I
have to sign documents inside the john because it's the only
available soundproof place," the minister was quoted by Antara as
saying here on Tuesday.

Fahmi's office is on the second floor, directly above where
the workers of three different companies have held noisy free
speech forums and beat out rhythms on five-gallon mineral water
bottles.

The ministry is located on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta.

The minister admitted also to concerns over the workers'
demands for, among other things, fair payment and insurance cover
from their employers. He promised to work to meet their demands.

The protesting workers include those from flight catering
company PT Aerowisata and pump manufacturer PT Arsimelin Megah
Industri, who have rallied at the minister's office since last
Friday.

The minister called on the companies to help settle the
dispute as soon as possible.

"If the companies are not able to meet their obligation, just
tell the workers... but please don't tell lies to them," Fahmi
said.

The minister also suggested to the protesters' coordinator,
activist Dita Sari, to lead the workers to protest at their
respective companies instead of at his office. (bsr)