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abor unions got together to mark the International Labor Day on Friday, urging private companies across the city not to take advantage of the current global financial downturn to sack workers.

Endang Sunarto from the National Workers Union (SPN) said some private companies, especially in the garment sector, often used the crisis as an excuse to dismiss workers.

"A garment company in Cakung *East Jakarta* shut down and fired its 340 permanent employees, saying it no longer received any orders after the crisis," said Endang after a meeting with Deputy Governor Prijanto at City Hall.

"The weird thing is, a few months later it reopened with the same name and hired about 500 contract workers," he said.

He said the company was avoiding hiring permanent workers who were entitled to more benefits than contract workers.

"Companies should be honest and fair. They should not take advantage of the situation," said Abdullatief from Jakarta's Commerce, Bank and Insurance Labor Union.

The labor unions demanded the city administration, as well as the central government, monitor all private companies more closely to avoid this kind of scenario.

"Law enforcement is still really poor. The administration should question companies directly," said Bismar, member of the labor union for the chemical, energy, mining and natural gas sectors.

Prijanto assured labor unions the administration would improve the enforcement of labor laws.

"I've just heard about this kind of story today. If you come across any violations in your company, I suggest you report it immediately to the city's manpower agency," he said.

More than a thousand former employees of Hotel Indonesia (HI) gathered at the HI traffic circle, urging hotel management PT Hotel Indonesia Natour (HIN) to pay their pensions and social security (Jamsostek).

They claimed they had not received any payments since they were fired five years ago while the hotel was being renovated.

Jualeha, a former employee, said she had not received any social security payments yet.

"I worked hard in this hotel since 1975. Now I want the benefits I was promised, since I may not be able to work here for much longer because of my age," said the 58-year-old.

Joko Sujono, head of the Former Workers of the Hotel of Indonesia (HIMKI), said workers would fight until the end for their rights.

"We are urging the government and city administration to turn the hotel back to the way it used to be. It is a cultural building, but the government just sold it to a private company. This is not right," said Joko.

HI is the capital's first starred hotel ever, which was inaugurated by former President Soekarno in a bid accommodate participants of the fourth Asian Games in 1962.