Workers' strike over allowances

Workers' strike over allowances

JAKARTA (JP): Three workers' strikes have occurred in Greater
Jakarta since the deadline for companies to pay out Idul Fitri
allowances on Feb. 6.

Workers of garment and shoe factories, which are the most
sensitive sectors, went on strike in West Jakarta, North Jakarta,
and Bekasi, 30 kilometers east of here.

Some 300 workers of PT Sinintama Garmentindo in West Jakarta
started striking on Thursday to demand the Idul Fitri allowance
and an increase in the wage paid by the company, which remains
under the current regional minimum wage.

More than 2,000 workers of the PT Sunshindo Elok Cemerlang
garment and shoe factory in North Jakarta also went on strike on
Friday, demanding that the company pay their Idul Fitri allowance
and postponed salaries.

On the same day, thousands of workers of PT Mulia Industrindo
in Bekasi also went on strike. They demanded that the company
give them a holiday bonus and not cut taxes from their Idul Fitri
allowances.

The management claims that the tax was imposed in accordance
with the government regulations.

The government instructed that companies pay their workers
Idul Fitri allowances by Feb. 6 at the latest.

Despite the reports on some workers' strikes, the head of the
Jakarta branch of the Federation of the All-Indonesia Workers
Union, Fauzi Ibrahim, claimed that so far his office has received
no reports of strikes at companies which have unions.

"We haven't received any complaints from workers under the
union regarding the allowances so far, even from the most
sensitive sector, textiles," Fauzi Ibrahim told The Jakarta Post
on Saturday. (03)