Strike ends as labor demands are met

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)