Plastic and shoe factory workers protest dismissal, substandard
\nwages<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Twenty five former employees from two factories
\nin Tangerang and Bogor went to the Ministry of Manpower yesterday
\nto complain about their dismissals and the substandard wages they
\nreceived prior to them.<\/p>\n
Putriningsih, who represented 20 former workers for PT Telaga
\nPelita Kencana, a plastic wares manufacturer in Tangerang, told
\nreporters they were fired following her request for a dialog
\nconcerning a raise in their daily minimum wages, from Rp 2,750
\n(US$1.2) to Rp 3,800 ($1.7) on April 11.<\/p>\n
The company then suspended them for 10 days starting on April
\n25. Putriningsih said that on May 7 all 21 were dismissed.<\/p>\n
\"There were 17 of us who have already signed the so called
\nresignation papers. They were threatened into signing and were
\ntold that otherwise they would not be entitled to severance pay,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Putriningsih said she refuses to accept the company's argument
\nof lower production as the reason behind the dismissal and asked
\nthe ministry to take some action against the factory owner.<\/p>\n
According to Putriningsih, she had complained to the Tangerang
\nmanpower office three times but she does not feel her case was
\ntaken seriously.<\/p>\n
PT Telaga Pelita Kencana's officials were not available for
\ncomments yesterday.<\/p>\n
Amit, a representative of 20 dismissed workers of PT Jaya
\nHarapan Barutama, a shoes manufacturer in Cibinong, Bogor, told
\nreporters that their dismissal was illegal as the Ministry of
\nManpower had not given approval for their laying off.<\/p>\n
Bonus<\/p>\n
He believed the dismissal followed a disagreement between the
\nlaborers and their employer concerning the amount of their Idul
\nFitri bonus in March.<\/p>\n
He explained that in March the laborers asked the management
\nto pay the bonus based on their daily wages, which ranged from Rp
\n3,800 ($1.76) to Rp 5,000 ($2.32), multiplied by 25 working days.<\/p>\n
However, the company rejected the request and distributed the
\nbonus based on the Rp 3,800 daily wage multiplied by 25 working
\ndays.<\/p>\n
Amit said after the company rejected the request, Moch. Amin,
\nthe company's personnel manager, fired the 21.<\/p>\n
Moch. Amin told The Jakarta Post that the demand was not in
\nline with the decision of the company's labor unit, which had
\nearlier approved a Rp 3,800-based bonus.<\/p>\n
Amin added that the company had to dismiss the workers
\nbecause they had launched a three-day strike, and engaged in
\nvandalism and theft.<\/p>\n
Amit said these allegations were groundless and an
\nexaggeration.<\/p>\n
Cepi Aulia, Director of Labor Standards who met the
\nprotesters, promised to handle the matter immediately.<\/p>\n
Pardomuan Simandjuntak, a lawyer from Parist and Associates
\nwho accompanied the laborers to the ministry, said that the
\nworkers' decision to go to the ministry was the right one as the
\naction will force the ministry's offices in Bogor and Tangerang
\nto handle the matters. (03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/plastic-and-shoe-factory-workers-protest-dismissal-substandard-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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