Workers rally at S. Korea Embassy

JAKARTA: Dozens of factory workers demonstrated outside the South Korea Embassy on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta on Wednesday, and demanded that the embassy help them after thousands were laid off by Korean companies and not paid as much as they expected.

The workers, grouped in the Primary Work Labor Union (SBKU) and the United Indonesian Labor Action (KASBI), said three South Korean companies -- PT Hyun Indonesia Garmen, PT Bangju Kornesia and PT Sarasa Nugraha -- dismissed since late July 796, 260 and 101,652 workers, respectively.

KASBI's secretary Beno Widodo claimed the companies had owed the local workers more severance pay in accordance with government labor regulations -- two month's salary for workers who have worked between one and two years.

They also demanded employers to stop turning labor disputes into criminal cases. Several union members have faced criminal charges for conducting demonstrations, they said.

Four representatives were able to meet with embassy staff, but it was not clear if anything was solved. -- Antara