Councilors regret workers' dismissals<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City councilors regretted on Tuesday the
\ndismissals of 12 workers of city-owned water firm PDAM Jaya over
\ntheir alleged involvement in a series of protests over the last
\nsix months.<\/p>\n
Councilor Saud Rahman said PDAM Jaya should not have dismissed
\nthe \"outspoken\" employees since a renegotiation of a water
\nmanagement agreement between the firm and its two foreign
\npartners was not reached.<\/p>\n
\"It would have been better if PDAM Jaya first suspended the
\nworkers before dismissing them,\" Saud of the United Development
\nParty (PPP) faction said.<\/p>\n
While citing the water management agreement which was signed
\nin February last year, Saud said that PDAM Jaya and foreign firms
\nPT Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and PT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ)
\nagreed not to dismiss any PDAM Jaya employees despite a water
\nmanagement handover.<\/p>\n
All 2,500 employees of PDAM Jaya were seconded to Palyja and
\nTPJ, which are subsidiaries of French firm Suez Lyonnaise des
\nEaux and British firm Thames Water International respectively.<\/p>\n
Councilor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP)
\nsaid he would question PDAM Jaya whether it issued warning
\nletters before dismissing the 12 workers.<\/p>\n
\"We will question whether PDAM Jaya lawfully dismissed the 12
\nemployees or not,\" Posman said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Council Speaker Edy Waluyo said he would urge PDAM
\nJaya to reemploy the 12 workers if their dismissal violated
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
\"We'll establish an inquiry team to study the problem,\" Edy
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
PDAM Jaya dismissed 12 of its employees on Monday on charges
\nthat they damaged the company's image by conducting a series of
\nprotests in the past six months.<\/p>\n
The firm's president, Muzahiem Mochtar, told a media
\nconference on Monday that the employees' final intolerable action
\ntook place last month, when the 12 men, together with some fellow
\nworkers, occupied the firm's logistics office in Pejompongan,
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The 12 dismissed employees were officials of the PDAM Jaya
\nworkers union. They included union deputy chairman Yorizon B.,
\nsecretary Zaenal Abidin and spokesman Yoshi Andriawan.<\/p>\n
For their dismissal, the 12 workers will receive compensation
\nworth nine times their monthly basic salary, which ranges between
\nRp 1.7 million (US$223.70) and Rp 2.5 million each.<\/p>\n
The workers rejected the dismissals, saying they would file a
\nlawsuit against the firm. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/councilors-regret-workers-dismissals-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}