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)