Tire maker workers stage rally

BOGOR: Hundreds of workers of bicycle tire maker PT Banteng Pratama, staged a rally on Monday at publicly listed tire maker PT Goodyear Indonesia's office to call for a continuation of the contract between the two companies.

The workers asked Goodyear's management not to break the contract with Banteng as it could result in the loss of jobs for over 1,500 workers.

Banteng production head Warjono said that his company would lose its license to produce Goodyear bicycle tires as the management of Goodyear will scrap its license, effective Oct. 1.

Banteng produces 22,000 Goodyear-branded bicycle tires per day. Most of them are exported to Europe, Latin America, and Middle East and African countries.

Disputing Banteng's claim that the contract expires in October this year, PT Goodyear said in a statement that its contract with PT Banteng ended in the 1990s. PT Banteng is not an official producer of Goodyear tires and has so far used the trademark illegally, according to the statement. --JP