Hotel workers rally around colleagues

The Jakarta Post

National News - September 13, 2006

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: About 80 hotel workers protested near Senggigi Beach on Monday in a show of solidarity with two colleagues recently fired by Senggigi Reef Resort Hotel.

The protesters, employed by dozens of hotels and restaurants along Senggigi, demanded the Senggigi Reef Resort Hotel review the dismissal of the two employees.

"They were indiscriminately fired," said Djemmy B. Adrian, a representative of the protesters. He claimed one of the workers in question was fired for failing to keep the area around the main gate of the hotel clean.

"It is really difficult to sweep sandy areas, especially when there is repair work being done on a nearby street," said Sadikin, one of the fired workers. Nur, the other dismissed worker, was reportedly fired because he was considered unable to run the washing machines properly.

The protesters met with Saleh, a representatives of the Senggigi Reef Resort Hotel, urging him to sign a letter reversing the dismissals. -- JP