Workers rally to demand salary

TANGERANG: Some 200 workers of PT Joka Kayu Sentosa, a wood processing company in the Jatake Industrial Estate in Jatiuwung district, Tangerang, urged the Tangerang Manpower Agency to force the company director to pay their salaries.

The workers protested in front of the agency office on Tuesday afternoon and spent the night there. They said that they have not received their wages for three months.

"Since last year, we have only been paid between Rp 70,000 (US$8.24) and Rp 100,000 per month, while we should be paid Rp 628,000 per month," said one of the workers Zaenudin.

He said that the workers had asked director Djohan Tansil to pay their salaries but he always argued that the company had no money. However, Zaenudin alleged that the company still exported its products to the Philippines and France.

An official at the agency, Suaman, said that Djohan was summoned on Tuesday but could not many any decision as to how to settle the dispute.

The workers vowed to continue their strike until they received their salaries.

"How could we pay the bus fare to go to work if we have no money at all. We can't even buy food for breakfast," Husein, another worker, said. -- JP