Shangri-La Hotel to reopen on March 17

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)