PT Sinintama agrees to pay allowances

PT Sinintama agrees to pay allowances

JAKARTA (JP): Workers at a garment factory in the West Jakarta village of Tegal Alur ended a strike yesterday after officials from the Manpower Ministry intervened.

"The end came after we intervened in the dispute," R.L. Sihite, head of the West Jakarta Ministry of Manpower office told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Around 300 workers of PT Sinintama Garmentindo, not PT Garmenindo Industry as reported on Friday, had been on strike since Wednesday.

An investigative team from the ministry visited the factory yesterday.

"About half of the 300 workers returned to work yesterday. The rest had agreed to resume working on Monday," said Sihite.

Among the workers' demands were Idul Fitri allowances, overtime pay, menstruation leave and being paid the minimum wage of Rp 4,600 per day.

"We prioritized on paying workers their Idul Fitri allowances because it is their right," said Sihite.

He added that the factory management had promised to pay the allowances on Tuesday.

His office will take PT Sinintama to court should it fail to pay the allowances, he said, since it would be a violation of government regulations.

The office would deal with the workers' other demands after the allowances had been paid to the workers, he said.

Manpower Minister Abdul Latief has instructed companies to pay Idul Fitri allowances by Feb. 6.

None of the company's managers were available for comment yesterday. (14)