Security guards complain to House

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of security guards working for the International Trade Center on Jl. Mangga Dua marched to the House of Representatives yesterday to protest what they called the impartial dismissal of 25 of their colleagues by the center's management.

While some 80 protesters were accepted by House members of the Golkar faction, the others were in the lobby waving posters which voiced the workers' demands to PT Jakarta Sinar Intertrade on minimum wages and social security. PT Jakarta Sinar Intertrade manages the International Trade Center in North Jakarta.

According to the workers, the trade center's management dismissed 25 workers for participating in Saturday's strike over salaries and social security. A total of 190 workers took part in the strike.

A manager of the company refused to comment on the dismissals. When contacted by The Jakarta Post yesterday, the woman manager refused to answer any points raised by the workers, saying that the human resources department had not yet relayed the matter to the public relations department.

"If you would wait until we are ready to have a press conference after folks from the department of manpower and legislators meet with us, then you would have a better coverage," she said.

Though she said that the company would like to quickly solve the dispute, she did not say when the meeting would take place.

The disgruntled workers also expressed a strong dislike toward what they considered a military invasion at their workplace.

According to them, about 15 soldiers have been employed by the company to oversee the security guards' and enforce discipline after four security guards were found to have stolen a safe containing Rp 19.6 million (US$8,340) on May 20.

"We don't mind being trained and further disciplined but why is the Army involved in this affair and not the police?" a protesting security guard queried, pointing to the city police badge on his own uniform. He said he wanted to remain anonymous.

He said that whenever security guards were unable to do the training properly they had received unacceptable treatment from the Army instructors, including heavy physical training and cursing.

The protesters said they hoped the House members would help them work out the dispute. (14)