Tangerang - About 6,000 workers from PT HASI (Hardaya Aneka Shoes Industry) Tangerang-producer of Nike shoes-went on strike and broke the glasses of the plant's office on Friday (25/4). On the same day at Bekasi at least 2,000 workers of the PT Surya Achilles Indonesia shoe plant also went on strike, demanding the putting into effect of the new UMR (Minimum Regional Wage) regulation of Rp5,700.-/day.

The strike of the Nike shoe workers started about 07.00 hours West Indonesia Time. Besides the glasses of the office, the PT HASI workers also damaged the office car of the Office Chief of the Department of Manpower of Tangerang, Drs Engkos Kosim. This act did not spread however and only took place in the plant's compound. A security guard from PT HASI, Ernowo Prasetyo (30) was wounded by the masses. While two female workers collapsed in the dense crowd.

Tuesday (22/4) about 10,000 PT HASI workers made a long march of 10 km from the plant location to the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building of Tangerang municipality. They went to the DPRD to demand improvement of welfare. Among others the repayment of presence premium of Rp 4000/week and UMR increase of 10.07 percent. On that same day was reached an agreement between the representatives of the workers and the company's management, the demand was fulfilled. The agreement was even poured into a contract. According to information gathered by Kompas Friday yesterday at the location of the strike, the action of the workers only ended after the arrival of hundreds of security guards from the PHH (Anti Riot Troops) from Kodam Jaya, Brimob Polda Metro Jaya, Kodim 0506/BS Tangerang, and Polres Metro Tangerang. Around 10.00 hours West Indonesia Time the mass of workers could be dispersed.

Following the acts of destruction, the PT HASI management stopped production and sent the workers on leave for two days, Friday and Saturday (26/4). The security apparatus remained on guard around the plant, eventhough the workers had already been dispersed.

The mayor of Tangerang municipality and the Tangerang police chief were seen when the mass of workers still gathered at the plant. Around 13.00 hours West Indonesia Time the mayor, police chief and management of PT HASI negotiated to seek a solution. The results of the negotiation are stil unknown.

There is also still no official clarification about the cause of the strike and the damaging. The Personnel Manager of PT HASI, Alfonso said to reporters that his side also did not know clearly what the cause of the riot was. According to him the action of the workers yesterday was probably a sequence of former affairs. Meanwhile, he continued, at that time an agreement was reached already between the representative of the workers and the company about the claims of the workers when they negotiated at the DPRD. In Bekasi

In Bekasi the strike went on orderly. After filling the presention, the workers went out and sat in the court of the plant. A number of the management of PUK (Working Unit Management) SPSI (Workers Association of Whole Indonesia) PT Surya Achilles Indonesia immediately contacted the executives of the company to convey the demands of the workers.

The management then contacted the Office of the Department of Manpower Bekasi which sent its representative, F Sihombing. While the workers appointed Abu Bastari from DPD SPSI Bekasi Regency to negotiate with the company. Until Friday afternoon there were no results.

According to the workers the company which produces shoes for export to Japan paid since 1995 a wage of Rp4.300 per day or Rp 128,000 per month. "In 1996 our wage was not increased and in 1997 the company announced that the wage was not increased," said a worker.

On 22 April PT Surya Achilles announced that the company could not pay the wages according to the new UMR, namely Rp5,700 per day. The company was only able to pay Rp5,200/day or Rp156,000/month.

Besides the UMR problem, the workers also asked the company to pay overtime full. According to Nurcholis, a worker of the shoe plant who is also a member of the (PUK SPSI PT Surya Achilles Indonesia, the average overtime of the worker is 3-4 hours per day. They are however only paid 2 hours per day.

The workers also stated that their wage was deducted with Rp1,500/week by the management, without explanation of the reason.