Workers at Pertamina?s Balongan oil refinery plant go on strike

At least 1,000 workers at the Balongan oil refinery plant in Indramayu, West Java rallied in front of the local legislative council demanding the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina to raise their wages, Kompas daily reported on Wednesday.

The temporary workers demanded Pertamina, which owns and operates the refinery plant, to raise their wages by at least 50 percent. The workers also accused Pertamina of discrimination. "The treatment to workers in other Pertamina?s units are much better, although we are all temporary workers," one of the workers said.

The workers said that they received only Rp 476,000 a month including allowances such as for transportation. The amount, according to them, is far lower than Rp 682,000 received by similar temporary workers in other Pertamina?s units.

Pertamina, however, said a driver of grade I (for light vehicles) receive a take-home payment of Rp 855,000 per month. "Their salary will reach Rp 1,000,260 when the 16.8 percent increase begins effective in July," the company said.

The state owned oil and gas company said the workers? strike did not affect activities at the Balongan plant (*)