Shangri-La labor dispute officially over

Shangri-La labor dispute officially over

JAKARTA: After over two years of protracted litigation, the
management of Shangri-la Hotel and dozens of its former workers
agreed to end their dispute by signing a landmark joint
agreement.

In a press release made available to The Jakarta Post on
Wednesday, the Independent Labor Union Federation (FSPM) said
that PT Swadharma Kerry Satya, the hotel's owner, and the
Shangri-la Hotel independent labor union (SPMS) had agreed to end
the industrial dispute between them backdated to March 12.

The agreement was reached after both parties engaged in a
series of bipartite negotiations. The Minister of Manpower and
Transmigration, Jacob Nuwawea, was present to witness the signing
of the agreement on March 7.

It was signed following a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the
hotel.

About 75 workers had earlier consistently rejected the
compensation package offered by the hotel management and demanded
that they be rehired.

The hotel has now agreed to pay the workers more than ordered
by the Supreme Court while the workers have agreed not to prolong
the conflict.

The dispute, which had drawn the attention of the
International Labor Organization (ILO), broke out after the hotel
fired more than 500 members of the FSPM following a strike
demanding better conditions. --JP

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ANPAj..r..
Focus-Bogor-pedicab-rally
Hear about pedicab crossing the road?
JP/8/GREATER

Hear about pedicab crossing the road?

BOGOR: Thousands of pedicab drivers staged a rally on Wednesday
at the Bogor legislative council to ask the administration to
revoke its new policy banning them from crossing the Paledang to
Pasar Anyar road.

After convening a special meeting to discuss the issue, the
legislative council decided to reject the drivers' demand, saying
that it would worsen traffic congestion in the area.

But the drivers insisted that the congestion was not their
fault but was rather due to the fact that many public
transportation vehicles stopped in the area to pick up
passengers.

The enraged drivers then ran amok, pelting the building with
stones and clashing with the police and legislative council
security guards.

The doughty legislators quickly had second thoughts and
hastily convened another meeting with the transportation agency.
The result? The pedicabs are now allowed the cross the road
again.

"It's too much trouble if we're not allowed to cross the road
and have to make a U-turn at Pasar Mawar," said Bambang Riyadi,
one of the drivers, adding, "For poor drivers like us who only
take in Rp 3,000 per day, it would kill us if we had to drive all
the way up that long road."--JP

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ANPAj..r..
Focus-Fakta-revision-security-bylaw
Fakta urges revision of security bylaw
JP/8/G-Perda

Fakta urges revision of security bylaw

JAKARTA: Activists of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) rallied
on Wednesday at the City Council building to urge the revision of
Bylaw No. 11/1988 on security and order.

The bylaw currently provides the legal basis for public order
officers to evict street vendors and slum residents.

Fakta chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan said in a statement a
draft of the revised bylaw had been submitted by Fakta to the
City Council's Commission A for legal and administrative affairs
two years ago, but had been ignored by councillors.

"The council promised to follow up on the draft after the
gubernatorial election last September, but so far there has been
no indication that the council will fulfill its pledge," he said.

Some 20 activists from Fakta failed to meet with members of
Commission A, as all the councillors were attending a plenary
session to review the 2002 city budget.--JP