Shangri-La Hotel staff seek help from House

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of striking workers from Shangri-La Hotel went to the House of Representatives on Friday to ask legislators to intervene in their dispute with the hotel.

The workers, who have been on strike since Dec. 22 last year, were received by House Deputy Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar.

"Pak Muhaimin promised to contact the parties related to the dispute although the House is still in recess," the deputy chairman of the hotel's union, Denny Suprihadi, said.

Denny said at least 200 of the 990 union members at the hotel had received letters of dismissal from management, which accused the workers of vandalizing the hotel and using hotel facilities without permission.

"It's clearly an effort to suppress the union since members who were on leave (at the time of the alleged incidents) also received similar letters. It's funny," he said after the meeting.

He denied the management's earlier accusation that union members had taken hostage some of the hotel's local staff.

"We have never taken any hotel staff hostage. We let them work while we were on strike."

The hotel has 1,114 employees, including the 990 union members.

Following the accusation, the police forcibly evacuated the striking workers from the hotel on the morning of Dec. 26.

Following this the union set up a post at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute office, and gave the institute the authority to mediate in the dispute with Shangri-La's management.

The striking workers are making several demands, including a pension fund, the equal distribution of service charges and an Idul Fitri/Christmas bonus four times workers' monthly salaries.

But the hotel's management has reportedly rejected these demands.

The striking employees also staged a rally in front of the United Nations building on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.

The workers asked the International Labor Union to force the hotel's management to agree to their demands.

The management earlier announced it would soon resume operations. The hotel has been closed since the strike began, causing billions of rupiah in losses. (jun/rms)