Steel workers balk at forced resignations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): About 500 Bekasi steel workers made their second
\ntrip to the National Commission on Human Rights to protest at
\ntheir firm's attempts to force a large number of employees to
\nresign following a bloody rally last month.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, the workers, which represented a quarter
\nof PT Gunung Garuda's 2,000 strong labor force, urged the
\ncommission to intervene to prevent the privately-owned company
\nfrom continuing with its efforts to force some of their number to
\nresign.<\/p>\n
\"About 130 workers have been forced to resign without adequate
\ncompensation and a further 70 have so far refused to sign
\nresignation letters presented to them by the company,\" the
\nworkers' spokesman Eduard D. Marpaung told commission members
\nSoegiri and M. Salim during the meeting to which the media were
\nalso invited.<\/p>\n
According to Eduard, the company began asking workers to
\nresign a few days after the June 30 demonstration in the factory
\ngrounds compound in Cibitung in which 23 workers were shot with
\nrubber bullets by military personnel.<\/p>\n
Workers who acquiesced to the company's demands were each
\ngiven between Rp 300,000 and Rp 1 million in compensation, Eduard
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the coerced resignations had begun shortly after the
\nmanagement promised officials from the local office of the
\nMinistry of Manpower that they would not dismiss any workers.<\/p>\n
The management broke their own pledge, he said.<\/p>\n
He said the company bosses had vowed to reemploy workers who
\nresigned once the economic situation began to improve.<\/p>\n
\"But when will the situation improve? In six months? A year?\"
\nEduard questioned.<\/p>\n
After listening to the workers' complaints, the commission
\nmembers said they would report the case to Minister of Manpower
\nFahmi Idris in an attempt to help solve the problem.<\/p>\n
The workers, however, were unsatisfied with this response.<\/p>\n
They wanted the commission to invite both Fahmi and the
\ncompany's management to discuss the dispute at their office.<\/p>\n
But commission member Soegiri refused, saying that the
\ncommission had no right to invite a minister to a meeting at
\ntheir office.<\/p>\n
\"We can send a letter asking the minister to help solve the
\nproblem. That's all,\" Soegiri said.<\/p>\n
Almost all of the 2,000 workers at the factory took part in
\nthe June 30 demonstration calling for the establishment of a
\nworkers union, improvements to their social welfare and the
\nestablishment of boarding houses for employees.<\/p>\n
One hundred and fifty members of the Army Strategic Reserves
\nCommand and artillery units opened fire on the demonstrators at
\nmidday after they threatened to destroy the firm's factory.<\/p>\n
They reportedly fired into the crowd after verbal cautions and
\nwarning shots had been ignored.<\/p>\n
Eight of the 23 injured workers are still being treated in
\nBakti Husada Hospital, Cikarang, a worker said yesterday. (jun)<\/p>",
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