Tangerang workers vow to stay on strike

JAKARTA (JP): About 100 striking employees of plastic wares producer PT Wingoh Albindo of Tangerang took their demand for a wage increase to the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute yesterday after their firm's executives denied them a hearing.

On strike for the past three days, they visited the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute office on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, to seek legal advice.

The protesters' spokesman, identified as Ucok, said they demanded the company, located on Jl. Daan Mogot, raise their wages by 15 percent in line with the recent increase in minimum regional wages, from Rp 172,500 per month to Rp 198,000.

"We also ask that an increase of 5 percent given by the company last month is not rescinded."

He said workers were extremely disappointed by the failure to meet the company's president, Holly Wingoh, even though they had made repeated requests.

Accompanied by Andi Wahyudin Djalil, a lawyer of the institute, the workers later went to the Tangerang office of the Ministry of Manpower, where they were scheduled to hold talks with representatives of the firm.

But after Holly, who was scheduled to attend the meeting, was a no-show, the workers decided not to participate.

Abidin, the firm's deputy director, said that Holly could not attend because he had to leave for Bogor.

"We just want to meet with Pak Holly, not you. He promised us," one of the workers shouted angrily.

They became increasingly irate and some female workers began to cry. One fainted in the emotion-charged atmosphere.

They said they would continue to strike until their demand was met.

Manpower officials and representatives of the firm pledged to arrange another meeting today.

"I don't understand why Holly should evade the constructive dialog with his own employees for no reason," Andi said. (jun/ivy/27)