Workers' protest on low wages denied

Workers' protest on low wages denied

JAKARTA (JP): PT Cenin Indonesia, an East Jakarta-based
garment manufacturer, denied its workers claim yesterday that the
company failed to abide by existing regulations on wages and Idul
Fitri allowances.

S.B. Choe, an executive of the company, said in a statement
made available to The Jakarta Post that the workers' claim was
unfounded and that the company fulfilled its obligation wage and
allowance obligations despite financial losses.

Over 500 workers from PT Cenin Indonesia went to the House of
Representatives early last week to protest their company's unfair
treatment.

They complained about the daily wage of only Rp 3,800 (US$1.7)
per worker and the delayed payment of individual Idul Fitri
allowances of Rp 90,000.

Choe said, however, that the Rp 3,800 is in line with the
minimum wage set by the government. "Moreover, on average the
company pays more than the minimum wage," he added. (hhr)