Shangri-La Hotel to reopen on March 17

JAKARTA (JP): Shangri-La Hotel will reopen its doors on March 17 after being closed to guests for over two months because of a labor dispute.

"We have recruited 300 new employees and will soon recall the 600 employees who did not join the strike," Wastu Widanto, the Shangri-La's senior manager, said.

He said there would be no special event to mark the reopening of the 32-story Shangri-La Hotel, which has 668 rooms and suites and is located on Jl. Karet Pasar Baru Timur in Central Jakarta.

Antara news agency reported the hotel was not expected to be fully operational immediately, with the hotel's management prioritizing only those services necessary to accommodate guests.

Wastu said the management at this point could not predict the hotel's occupancy rate after it resumed operation.

"But many patrons such as businesspeople and national and foreign companies have been informed of the hotel's reopening."

Management will continue to pay the salaries of the nearly 500 employees who were fired because of the strike until the dismissal process is completed, Wastu said.

The labor dispute began when hotel employees affiliated with the Shangri-La Hotel Independent Workers Union went on strike in December to demand increased bonuses and improved working conditions.

The strike forced the hotel to shut its doors and relocate guests to other hotels.

The management claims it has lost Rp 18 billion since it halted operations on Dec. 22. (04)