Tripatra workers complain over low wages

A delegation of PT Tripatra workers again met members of the Riau province's legislative council (DPRD) on Thursday to complain over the low wages after their previous demand received no positive response from the company.

The workers also complained that the company, which handles the labor works of PT Caltex Pasific Indonesia (CPI), also gave much better treatment to foreign workers, who not only received higher salaries but also better working conditions.

"The discrimination really hurts us. Unlike local workers, the expatriates get higher salaries and better facilities," one of the workers told the councilors.

The workers also complained that PT Caltex often threatened to replace Tripatra with other company rather then tried to negotiate with the workers, he said. He acknowledged that the workers' protests might dismay the management but "we had no choices because they are not sensitive to our demand." (*)