Nikko Hotel workers against dismissal

Nikko Hotel workers against dismissal

JAKARTA: A total of 237 employees of the Nikko Hotel in
Central Jakarta staged a protest in front of the Jakarta Manpower
and Transmigration Agency office on Friday, against the hotel
management's decision to dismiss them.

The hotel workers union chairman Nurbukhori Effendi said the
management had violated a 2003 purchase agreement under which, in
the three years following the agreement, the management was not
allowed to dismiss the workers. The management argued that it has
suffered financial losses in 2003 and 2002 and had too many
employees.

"The hotel's occupancy rate is over 70 percent, the highest
among hotels in the city," Nurbukhori said. "Besides, the hotel's
financial report states that the management profited last year,
as much as Rp 1.4 billion (US$148,936)."

A total of 75.97 percent of shares in the hotel were sold by
the office of the State Minister of State Enterprises through the
old management of PT Wisma Nusantara Internasional to Singapore-
based PT Guthrie Logistic Private Limited on Dec. 13, 2002. -- JP