Former Garuda staff stage protest<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of former employees of national flag
\ncarrier Garuda Indonesia staged a rally at the airline's
\nheadquarters in Central Jakarta on Monday to demand that the
\ncompany pay them outstanding social security payments.<\/p>\n
The protesters' spokesman, Hamdani Azis, said Garuda had
\ncheated its former employees by paying their insurance premiums
\n(while still employed) to state PT Jamsostek insurance firm based
\non their basic monthly salary, not on their take home pay as
\nstipulated by Law No. 3\/1992 on Jamsostek funds.<\/p>\n
The law states that a percentage of a person's wage is to be
\npaid to PT Jamsostek. It does not specify whether it is take home
\npay or basic pay.<\/p>\n
\"We now demand our rights to our entire insurance claims.
\nGaruda played a trick on us,\" Hamdani, a former service manager
\nof the airline, said.<\/p>\n
According to him, the employees, who voluntarily resigned as
\nper Dec. 1, last year, only received insurance payments of
\nbetween Rp 800,000 (US$88.80) and Rp 5 million each from PT
\nJamsostek owing to the fact that Garuda only paid their premiums
\nbased on their basic salaries.<\/p>\n
He said the employees would have received three times what
\nthey did from Jamsostek had the airline paid Jamsostek based on
\ntheir take home pay, which consisted of basic salary,
\ntransportation fees and other allowances.<\/p>\n
Carrying posters, the former employees arrived at the
\nheadquarters on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan at 10 a.m. and also
\ndemanded that Garuda provide free health services to all former
\nemployees.<\/p>\n
Hamdani, who claimed to represent 300 former employees, said
\nmany former employees still received free health care, while
\nothers, including those who had worked for the airline for 20
\nyears, did not.<\/p>\n
The company, he said, only provided health services to former
\nemployees who were at least 46 years old.<\/p>\n
\"It's unfair.<\/p>\n
\"Many ex-employees get the facility because they're 46 even
\nthough they have worked there less than 15 years, while there are
\nothers who're under 40 but who have worked there for more than 20
\nyears and yet they are supposedly not entitled,\" Hamdani said.<\/p>\n
He said Garuda usually gave its retirees various facilities,
\nsuch as free medical treatment, for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n
According to Hamdani, the former employees met with airline
\nexecutives at the Ministry of Manpower last Friday to discuss
\ntheir demands.<\/p>\n
\"During the meeting, Garuda agreed to pay the rest of our
\ninsurance claims. But the executives now refuse to meet us,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Garuda spokesman Pujobroto insists that the airline followed
\nstandard procedures and lived up to its obligation to its former
\nemployees in accordance with existing regulations as required by
\nthe ex-employees.<\/p>\n
\"I can't give the details. But we have acted in accordance to
\nthe law,\" Pujobroto said.<\/p>\n
He said 1,596 employees agreed to voluntarily resign on Dec. 1
\nas part of the company's pension program.<\/p>\n
He said the airline also gave severance payments of between Rp
\n38 million and Rp 170 million, paid insurance claims and other
\nfacilities.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why they are still dissatisfied. They themselves
\noffered to resign. We didn't force them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said more than 2,000 employees asked to resign, but the
\nairline only approved the 1,596 employees. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-garuda-staff-stage-protest-1447893297",
"image": ""
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