Paper retains its journalists' association membership<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A local newspaper has denied ever attempting to
\nhave seven journalists dropped from the Indonesian Journalists
\nAssociation (PWI), a witness told a court yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The Suara Pembaruan daily has never reported the change in
\nstatus of these plaintiffs to the association,\" Marah Sakti
\nSiregar, secretary-general of the association, told the East
\nJakarta district court.<\/p>\n
Applications for membership to the association are usually
\nmade by newspaper managements.<\/p>\n
Seven journalists, who have worked for the newspaper for
\nbetween seven and 18 years, are suing the newspaper's general
\nmanager, Albert Hasibuan, and publisher PT Media Interaksi Utama
\nfor removing their names from the daily's masthead.<\/p>\n
According to Petron Curie Nadeak, one of the senior
\njournalists at the daily, the lawsuit culminates a two-year-old
\ndispute.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 16, 1994, the daily suspended the seven journalists on
\nthe grounds that they had leaked company secrets to the mass
\nmedia.<\/p>\n
In the same month, the publisher applied for permission from
\nthe Local Committee for Resolving Labor Disputes to dismiss the
\njournalists and the request was granted.<\/p>\n
The journalists' appealed to the Central Team for the
\nSettlement of Labor Disputes on 29 August 1995. On Nov. 11, 1995,
\nthe team granted an appeal. The paper's management was told to
\nreinstate the journalists and pay them 50 percent of their
\nsalaries from December 1994 to May 1995.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 2, 1996, however, the journalists' names were removed
\nfrom the daily's masthead.<\/p>\n
The journalists are demanding Rp 5 billion compensation for
\nwhat they construe as defamation.<\/p>\n
The journalists are represented by lawyers from Amir
\nSyamsuddin and Associates law firm while the Suara Pembaruan
\ndaily is represented by a law firm owned by the general manager
\nof the newspaper itself, Albert Hasibuan and Associates.<\/p>\n
The hearing was adjourned until next Thursday. (14)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/paper-retains-its-journalists-association-membership-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }