Workers protest at council building;

Workers protest at council building;

TANGERANG: Hundreds of workers of shoe producer PT Dongha
Perkasa staged a rally at the Tangerang Municipal Council
building on Wednesday starting at around 10:30 a.m., demanding
their right to better welfare.

Indra Plasa of the Manpower Legal Aid Institute, who
accompanied the workers, said that the workers demanded that the
company management enroll them in the state-run insurance company
PT Jamsostek's social security insurance scheme.

He also said they demanded that the management make clear
rules because many workers, who had been working for 10 years,
still had to sign yearly contracts.

"The company does not even give overtime pay. It's not fair,"
groaned Achmad Yani, one of the 1,500 workers of the company that
produces Umbro shoes.

"If the management fails to meet our demands, we will stay
here and continue our rally," he threatened, adding that all the
workers were prepared to risk losing their jobs.

He said he doubted the company was facing financial
difficulties because it still received orders and its exports ran
smoothly.

"Last month, the company paid our salary in installments," he
said. -- JP