Workers seek council support over allowances

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)