Workers seek council support over allowances

JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of two hundred construction workers marched to the city council building yesterday, asking councilors to help them press their employer, PT Inasa Wahana Lestari, for an increase in their transport and meal allowances.

"The current transport and meal allowances, which are currently Rp 900 (40 U.S. cents) and Rp 1,000 respectively, are too small," Tolibin T. Barkawi, a workers' delegate, told the council's Commission E, which is responsible for social welfare.

"Therefore, we ask the city council to help press our demand," he added.

He said that, currently, the transport and meal allowances are included in the regional minimum wage of Rp 4,600, paid to most employees of the firm.

Barkawi himself, for example, said he receives only Rp 6,000 per day, including the transport and meal allowances, although he has worked for the firm for five years.

He told the councilors that the workers have yet to decide on the fixed amount of transport and meal allowances which they want.

But, as a proposal, he suggested a daily Rp 1,500 for transport and Rp 3,000 for meals.

Barkawi said a collective labor agreement signed between the firm and its workers on March 8 had yet to be implemented by the employer.

He said that the yet-to-be-honored agreement covers conditions of employment such as maternity leave and holiday pay.

Last week saw the company's entire staff on strike from Monday until Friday over the transport and meal allowance dispute. However, the company has yet to offer any increase in the allowances, Barkawi said.

The workers sent 15 delegates to the council last Friday, but these failed to get meet with any of the councilors.

After learning that workers' delegates had tried to meet with members of the city council, the company met the delegates on Friday afternoon and promised that the employees' demands would be discussed on Oct. 7.

On that basis the workers agreed to go back to work on Saturday.

Commission Chairman Atje Muljadi promised that Commission E would do its best to help the workers. He said members of the commission would try to arrange a meeting with executives of the company.

"The commission will monitor the situation and help settle the dispute," Atje said. (32)