'TVRI' staff may boycott Gus Dur

'TVRI' staff may boycott Gus Dur

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Some 300 employees of the state-run
television station TVRI here threatened on Tuesday not to cover
the visit of President Abdurrahman Wahid on Dec. 30 if the
station failed to raise their holiday bonuses.

Spokesman for the protesters, Zaldi Yusuf, said that the state
employees each received Rp 30,000 (US$4.20) for an Idul Fitri
bonus, which is far below the one month salary stipulated by the
Ministry of Manpower.

"The amount does not make sense. If the management refuses to
increase it, we may resort to boycotting the President's visit,"
Zaldi said.

Abdurrahman is scheduled to make a year-end trip to the town
on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 to attend a Koran reading and mass prayer
here.

Responding to the protest, local TVRI chief Nur Syamsu Sultan
said the management would raise the bonus to Rp 100,000 each to
avoid a possible boycott. (27/04)