Verdict on bank row postponed

Verdict on bank row postponed

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Administrative High Court postponed
Wednesday a verdict on a dispute between the management and union
of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Corporation.

It was the second postponement since the trial was scheduled
to reach a verdict on July 11, 1997. But presiding judge Fatimah
Achjar said both parties had one more chance to make a compromise
between them.

On April 17, 1996, more than 200 Hongkong Bank employees went
on strike protesting what they said was a stall on discussions of
an extended collective labor agreement. The management then
dismissed 189 employees.

On July 22 the Central Committee for the Settlement of Labor
Disputes (P4P) had ruled that Hongkong Bank's management should
rehire workers and give them back pay.

The case went to trial and employees won at the South Jakarta
District Court, after which the management appealed.

The trial was adjourned until July 9.

But Fatimah said the second postponement would be the last.

"The court expects that in two weeks both parties will reach
an agreement, because if they don't, we'll reach a verdict," she
said. (12)