Over 1,300 workers on strike

TANGERANG (JP): Over 1300 workers of PT Supra Busana Yasa marched to the City Council building on Tuesday, in protest over what they claimed was unfair treatment by the company.

The protesting workers, mostly female, started walking from the garment factory to the City Council building -- 15-km away -- at 8.30 a.m. The procession held up traffic for several hours.

Thirty-four workers representing their colleagues, were received by councilors A. Saragih and Supardal from commission II which oversees manpower affairs.

Then they were given the opportunity to talk to several officials of the company.

The meeting was brokered by the Tangerang office of the manpower ministry, some members of the regional board of the All Indonesia Workers Union Federation (SPSI) and a number of councilors.

The workers raised various complaints, including the high- handed approach to dismissals by the management which they pointed out was not in line with the existing regulations, and the company's production target which they described as "overly ambitious."

They also demanded that their meal allowances be increased and that they be given two days of paid menstruation leave every month.

Following lengthy discussions which lasted more than three hours both the workers and the company's management finally reached an agreement.

The management bowed to several of the demands, promising to comply with the rules of the manpower ministry pertaining to dismissal of workers.

The company promised to review the current meal allowances and granted the demand that female workers be given the two days of paid leave.

It also promised the production target would be reviewed and reassessed in accordance with the number of workers available and their capacity.(18/bas).