Women march to DPR in protest over low wages
Women march to DPR in protest over low wages
JAKARTA (JP): About 650 female workers of two garment
factories in East Jakarta went to the House of Representatives
(DPR) to protest about their low wages.
Out of the 650 protesters, 150 were from PT Meditra Inti
Ragam, with the remainder from PT Cenin Indonesia.
Yohana, the spokesperson of the workers from PT Meditra Inti
Ragam, told reporters that they were paid just Rp 3,100 (US$1.4)
per day even though most of them have worked at the company for
more than five years.
She said that each worker also receives transport and meal
allowances, but the amount is only Rp 300 and Rp 700 per day
respectively.
Prior to the last Idul Fitri holiday, workers who have been
employed at the company for over five years received only Rp
40,000 each as a holiday bonus, while those working less than
five years received Rp 10,000.
"This is completely ridiculous. What can you do with such an
amount of money to celebrate Idul Fitri?" Yohana asked.
Each employee of the company received an Idul Fitri bonus of
Rp 75,000 last year, she said, acknowledging that she was
confused as to why this year's allowance was smaller.
Yohana explained that the staff had repeatedly tried to
discover the reason for the low bonuses.
"We have reported the case to the East Jakarta chapter for
four times but the answer is always the same: We are asked to be
patient, the problem is being processed," she said.
"However, how can we be patient over and over. Patience has
its limit, while waiting itself is boring," she added.
Meanwhile, Sutinah, the spokesperson of 500 of the protesting
workers of PT Cenin Indonesia, said that they came to the DPR
complex because of the unfair treatment by their company.
Besides the delay of the payment of their wages last month,
each worker is paid only Rp 3,800, including a transportation
allowance, per day regardless of their term of employment at the
firm, she said, adding that the meal allowance amounts to only Rp
100.
Despair
"Our coming to the DPR building constitutes the culmination of
our despair caused by the unfairness of the company," she said.
Sutinah explained that PT Cenin Indonesia did pay Idul Fitri
allowances of Rp 95,000 to each worker last month, but the firm
delayed the payment of the monthly wage on the grounds that it
had no cash.
According to Bambang, one of the staff members of PT Cenin
Indonesia, the company was forced to delay payment of the month's
wages because the firm is on the brink of bankruptcy.
The representatives of the protesters were received yesterday
by members of the Armed Forces faction, including Anwar Affandi,
Pranowo and Azhim Zahid.
The faction, Affandi said, will summon representatives of the
companies to explain the problems. (29/hhr)