APSN Banner

Workers set for March 1 strike

Source
Jakarta Post - February 21, 2006

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Hoping to jump-start stalled negotiations over the minimum monthly wage, thousands of Jakarta's workers are threatening a March 1 strike.

"We have no other option. The city administration has shown no interest in meeting our demand," Odie Hudianto, secretary of the Jakarta chapter of the Independent Workers Association, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Hotel, restaurant and supermarket unions are among the groups planning to take part in the action. Odie said workers from the electronics and electrical goods industries, who also are after higher pay, would go on strike at the same time.

"We have the same demand. The tourism sector as well as the electronics and electrical goods industries are among the top contributors to city revenue," He said. "That's why we will ask Governor Sutiyoso to add the two sectors to the list of industries to get a higher provincial minimum wage," he said.

The tourism sector has about 12,123 workers, while the electronics and electrical goods industries have 40,000 workers in total, he said.

Tourism workers initially planned a February strike but delayed the work stoppage until other workers were ready.

Demonstrations across the city are planned, including at the Aryaduta, Grand Hyatt, Nikko and Four Seasons hotels, Taman Anggrek Apartments, the Sogo department store and Plaza Indonesia.

The Association of Railway Workers covering Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi is also considering a strike. "But we have not made any decision yet," said executive Iwan Setiawan. The association has 4,664 members. Odie said meetings with representatives of the Jakarta Wage Council, employers, labor unions and the Jakarta Manpower Agency had reached a stalemate.

The chairman of the Federation of Metal Industry Workers, Thamrin Mosii, said workers in the electronics and electrical goods industries were discriminated against as a higher wage of over Rp 1 million a month was awarded to automotive industry workers, even though all three fall under the metal industry category.

"To send a strong message, we will also stage a mass demonstration in the city against the planned power rate increase and the government's draft revision of the Labor Law, which fails to protect workers' rights," Thamrin said.

Country