Workers protest management's breaking of deal
Workers protest management's breaking of deal
TANGERANG (JP): More than 10,000 workers of PT Hardaya Aneka
Shoes, which produces Nike shoes, protested again yesterday after
the company broke a deal made after the first demonstration
Tuesday.
There were episodes of violence in demonstration, with workers
smashing the company's windows and the windshields of two cars in
the parking lot.
Dozens of riot police and military officers were sent to calm
the angry workers. A police helicopter hovered above the factory.
The demonstration started at about 7 a.m yesterday when
thousands of workers entered the factory on Jl. Gajah Tunggal,
Tangerang, 40 kilometers southwest of here.
On Tuesday they demanded their employers pay them the new
minimum full-time wage of Rp 172,000 a month. A worker said they
did get Rp 172,000, "but this includes overtime pay".
Another worker said they wanted to be given their wage sheets,
because they were never told the details of their wages.
The old minimum wage for Greater Jakarta was Rp 156,000 a
month. The new minimum full-time wage of Rp 172,000 a month
became effective this month.
Siti Hartati Murdaya, the company's president director, denied
the workers' statements. In a letter to The Jakarta Post on
Thursday, she said the company paid Rp 172,000 in wages plus
overtime allowances. Each worker got Rp 259,747 a month, Siti
said.
Tuesday's demonstration ended with the management agreeing to
pay Rp 172,000 (US$71.66) a month minimum wage for new workers.
The management also agreed that anyone who had worked at the
firm for more than a year would get an additional eight percent
plus a premium based on 30 working days.
But the management said Wednesday the premium would be based
on 25 working days, instead of the agreed 30.
This appears to have enraged the workers, because the deal was
made in front of Tangerang legislators and a representative from
the Ministry of Manpower.
The workers said that yesterday's demonstration had nothing to
do with the rumor that the company would fire the union leaders
who led Tuesday's protest. "There were no leaders in Tuesday's or
today's demonstrations," a worker said.
The workers ended their protest at about 10 a.m. They were
asked to resume work on Monday.
Nike
Nike Indonesia's director of labor practice, Joel Enderle,
refused to comment on the demonstrations. He said only Nike's
communications director for the Asia Pacific, Marta Benson, was
authorized to comment.
From Hong Kong, Marta said she had received detailed reports
on the demonstrations.
She said her office had ordered all Nike representatives in
the Asia Pacific to issue internal bulletins on any changes to
government policies on labor affairs.
"The internal bulletins are expected to improve communications
between managements and workers. The demonstrations (in
Tangerang) were the result of a miscommunication," she said.
National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo and Armed Forces
Spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Supriadi had earlier warned employers
to give workers their rights to avoid any protest that could lead
to rioting during the election campaign period. (jun/12)