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fter a day’s strike on Thursday, hundreds of workers at Varta Microbattery Indonesia (PT VMI), a German company in Batam, Riau Islands, returned to work on Friday.

The company management promised to issue a decision on Jan. 27 in an effort to avert workers’ threats to block the Batamindo Industrial Zone if their demand for a housing allowance was not met.

Ramon Yapeth, an official of PT VMI’s Indonesian Metal Workers Union (FSPMI), told The Jakarta Post that after a meeting with PT VMI, Batamindo, Batam Manpower Office and Barelang police authority, PT VMI would decide on Jan. 27, when Asia Pacific Varta Microbattery Pte. Ltd. managing director Freddy Tan would visit Batam. PT VMI produces alkaline batteries.

The workers bowed to the request, ended the strike and returned to work in hopes that Tan’s arrival would meet their expectations.

“However, if our demand is not met, we will go on strike again and block the Batamindo Industrial Zone together with the trade unions of other companies operating here, because our demand is part of those working in Batamindo,” said Ramon, who also serves as warehouse assistant supervisor of PT VMI Batam.

PT VMI was forced to halt operation temporarily as 900 of its workers went on strike on Thursday because they deemed the company was discriminative in providing housing allowances to the workers.

Since it started operating in 1990, the majority of PT VMI workers have come from Java. They were provided with lodgings in the Batamindo Industrial Zone. In time, the company recruited workers from outside Java, especially local Batam residents.

The workers who were recruited from Java started leaving the dormitory and then stayed outside the area after getting married.

Eleven workers are still staying within the zone, and are seen as receiving incentives equivalent to Rp 300,000 per month.

“The company should not give allowance to only 11 workers, but to all workers,” said Ramon, adding that he had been demanding equal treatment since 2008.

According to Ramon, the workers have demanded that PT VMI give Rp 250,000 for housing allowances, but the company has only offered Rp 50,000.

Currently, of the 900 workers working for PT VMI, 458 are permanent workers, while the rest are outsourced workers.

FSPMI Batam chairman Suprapto threw his support behind the workers’ demand, saying that he would remain behind them should they realize their threat to block Batamindo industry area.

“We support them because the company has discriminated against its workers,” he said.

He said the company’s policy of giving allowances only to non-married workers was akin to the company encouraging its workers not to get married.