Tangerang workers vow to stay on strike

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company last month is not rescinded."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)