BATAM. Germany-based battery maker PT Varta Microbattery Indonesia, which operates in Batam, Riau Islands, had to stop its operations after all of its 900 workers went on strike on Thursday.

Workers said the company has discriminated against the majority of workers by giving housing allowances only to 11 Javanese recruits. The rest are locals.

A worker at the company’s warehouse, 39-year-old Zubaidah, said the workers demanded the company provide them with Rp 250,000 (US$27.50) in housing allowances every month – an amount the 11 Javanese workers are estimated to receive every month.

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However, she said, the company only agreed to offer workers Rp 50,000 per month in housing allowances.

“[Workers and the company’s management] failed to reach an agreement in a mediation set up by the Batam Manpower Agency. The company continued to offer only Rp 50,000,” said Zubaidah, who has worked at the oldest company in Batam for 19 years.

“Therefore, we will be on strike until Jan. 24, until our demand is met.”

The company has been operating since 1990 and employs a workforce of 900 workers, 458 of whom are permanent workers and the rest hired on a contractual basis.

The strike, taking place at two of the company’s plants in the Batamindo Batam industrial cluster, has brought operations at the battery assembly plant to a halt, although several Singaporean expatriates kept working as usual.

A number of police officers have stood by to monitor the situation since 9 a.m.

Suprapto of the Federation of Batam Metal Workers’ Union (FSPMI) said the company had discriminated against workers by differentiating the amount of housing allowances from one worker to another.

Also, the company appeared to be urging their workers to stay unmarried by giving housing allowances to their single workers only, he said.

The company’s management refused to comment, and denied journalists’ requests for interviews. (Fadli/ The Jakarta Post)