Workers of PT Cometa Can Corp. end four-day strike
Workers of PT Cometa Can Corp. end four-day strike
JAKARTA (JP): Workers of PT Cometa Can Corp., a West Jakarta-
based can factory, ended their four-day strike at noon yesterday
after their representatives and the company's management reached
an agreement on their demands.
"The management has fulfilled our (seven) requests and hence
we agree to resume work, starting with the second shift," said
Suhaimi, a member of the workers' representatives negotiating
with the company management.
Suhaimi was referring to yesterday's second shift, which works
from 2.30 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Suhaimi said the seven-point agreement includes; the
elimination of the present contract working system; the provision
of uniforms three times a year; medical allowances of Rp 60,000
per annum; and a daily incentive of Rp 600 for night shift
workers.
The management also agreed to grant the workers an annual
salary increase.
"What is important is there will be no contract workers in
future as all the employees will be classified as daily workers,
meaning that they will be entitled to medical allowances and
insurance," Suhaimi said.
A total of 1,300 workers of the company, which produces cans
for branded names products, such as Blue Band margarine and Khong
Ghuan biscuits, started their peaceful strike on Monday. The
four-day strike crippled the activities of the company.
On Wednesday the company management softened their attitude
and fulfilled two points of the workers's demands --the provision
of old age pensions and the inclusion of all workers in the
government-run social and health insurance scheme called
Jamsostek.
As in previous days, hundreds of the striking workers
yesterday waited under the sun outside the Penjaringan Youth
Center, where the closed-door negotiations were held.
The workers dispersed only after their representatives
announced that they had accomplished the 7-point agreement with
the management.
But Maryono, one of the workers' representatives, said that
both the workers' representatives and the company management
agreed to postpone the establishment of the local workers' union
and the determination of new daily minimum wages.
"The workers' union will be formed in two weeks time and then
we will continue the negotiations on the daily minimum wages,"
Maryono said, adding that the striking workers had asked that the
company raise their daily minimum wages from the current Rp
3,800. (yns)