Massive layoffs in Tangerang leave 126,000 jobless<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang<\/p>\n
Some 86,000 workers lost their jobs in massive lay offs in
\nTangerang over the past year when the companies they worked for
\ndeclared bankruptcy, a top official said.<\/p>\n
"The fired 86,000 workers have increased the total cumulative
\nnumber of unemployed in Tangerang since the economic crisis
\nstarted in 1997," Tangerang Mayor M. Thamrin said over the
\nweekend in an address to the congregation of Baiturrahman mosque
\nin Keroncong subdistrict, Jatiuwung.<\/p>\n
Separately, the head of the local manpower agency, Achmad
\nKosasih, said that with the 86,000 laid off workers, the city now
\nhad 126,000 people out of a job as previously the number of
\nunemployed was 40,000.<\/p>\n
"In fact, there are many companies that have dismissed their
\nworkers without reporting to this agency so it's difficult to
\nfigure out the precise number of workers who have lost their
\njobs," he remarked.<\/p>\n
He added that the settlement of several dismissal cases were
\nstill being processed either by the Central or Local Committees
\nfor the Settlement of Labor Disputes (P4P\/P4D), saying that
\nsettlement of several other dismissal cases had also been sought
\nthrough the state administrative court.<\/p>\n
According to Kosasih, unemployment would continue to increase
\nin Tangerang this year. "We're currently handling 260 cases of
\nproposed dismissals from a number of companies," he noted.<\/p>\n
But he said that as of December, his agency had only
\nregistered 21,000 job seekers, adding that most of the companies
\nthat had dismissed workers were those which produced textiles,
\ngarments and footwear.<\/p>\n
"The companies had to lay off their workers because they
\nsuffered from declining orders, which are mostly from overseas,
\nespecially the U.S. and European countries," Kosasih said.<\/p>\n
He said the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11 had
\napparently had an impact on foreign orders for such products.
\nMany foreign buyers had also totally halted purchases from
\nIndonesia, leaving many factories, especially in Tangerang,
\nfinding it difficult to pay their workers.<\/p>",
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