Stevedores strike in Kendari

Yos Hasrul , The Jakarta Post , Kendari | Sat, 05/10/2008 10:34 AM | The Archipelago

Hundreds of stevedores at the Kendari airport in Southeast Sulawesi went on strike on Friday demanding 35 percent rise in the minimum wages, but walked away with a lower settlement following negotiations.

The strike paralyzed the port and prevented two cargo vessels loaded with cement and containers from unloading their cargo.

The coordinator of the stevedores, La Inta, criticized the city mayor, who he said had ignored workers' demands, as the wages at the port were far below the municipal minimum wage set by the government.

The physically challenging and time-consuming work of the stevedores entitled them to higher pay by expedition companies, La Inta said.

"Both the government and expedition companies should understand that stevedores work more than eight hours a day and do heavy work loading and unloading goods, and logistics," he said.

"A stevedore receives only Rp 500,000 (US$53) to Rp 700,000 every three months, and this is far below the monthly minimum wage of Rp 600,000," Inta said.

Following mediation by the port authority, expedition companies and stevedores agreed to a 20 percent rise in wages.

"The bipartisan negotiation resulted in wages for cargo unloaders being raised by 20 percent while wages for container unloaders will be increased by ten percent," said Hairun, the treasurer of the labor union at the port.

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