Strike ends as labor demands are met

TANGERANG, West Java (JP): The management of PT Tuntex Garment Indonesia yesterday quelled a two-day strike when it agreed to meet some of the demands of its striking workers by paying the minimum daily wage 30 days instead of 26 days a month.

The company also assured its workers that they would all be included in the state-run social security program, Jamsostek.

The company's swift response to its workers' demands ended a strike involving more than 1,200 workers, mostly women. They went on strike at 8:00 a.m. Monday.

The strike paralyzed production at the factory, causing the company to cancel its plan to export two containers of garments.

The workers refused to enter production rooms, gathering in the factory compound to shout their demands and criticize the company's management.

Ninik, who acted as spokeswoman for her fellow workers, said the company had complied with the regulation issued by the Ministry of Manpower by paying them the minimum daily wage of Rp 5,200. "But it had not paid it for 30 days (a month). We demand that on Sundays we also get paid."

The workers also demanded that the factory, which produces garments under Adidas, Nike and LS Tee brands, register all its workers with the social security program as regulated by the Ministry of Manpower.

"At the moment only workers who have been working for at least three years are registered with the program. We think that each worker who has passed the three-month probationary period should be allowed to join the program directly," Ninik said.

The company's executives swiftly called a meeting with the workers' representatives.

After three hours of negotiating, several agreements were reached. The negotiations were witnessed by several officials from the Tangerang office of the Ministry of Manpower and several officials from the regency's branch of the All Indonesian Workers Union Federation (SPSI).

Management agreed to pay the minimum daily wage of Rp 5,200 for 30 days a month, beginning Nov. 21 this year. It also promised that all workers would gradually be registered with the social insurance program regardless of how long they had worked for the company.

Tanu Margono, a senior executive, denied allegations that the company had ignored a regulation requiring it to register all its workers with the social insurance program: "That's not true. All workers who have passed the three-month probationary period are entitled to the facility."

Tanu promised that his company would increase the food and transport allowances for workers if the factory could afford it. (28/bas)