500 dismissed workers demand reemployment

500 dismissed workers demand reemployment

JAKARTA (JP): More than 500 dismissed and laid-off workers
from 21 companies in Greater Jakarta staged a demonstration at
the Manpower Ministry compound yesterday, demanding reemployment.

"We realize that our companies are facing economic
difficulties. But we are sure the managements are still capable
of reemploying us despite the economic crisis," said Yanti Mala
Dewi, coordinator of the demonstrators, who called themselves the
Coalition of Greater Jakarta Workers (KBJ).

"We are hungry and badly in need of jobs to meet our daily
needs. We have our families to feed," a demonstrator screamed
out.

Besides demanding reemployment, the demonstrators also
insisted on revision of the new labor law, which is considered to
limit workers' rights, the halting of military intervention in
industrial disputes and freedom of association.

"The law, which does not include any single statement on the
establishment of new labor unions, should be amended soon in line
with the current reform era," Arum, a former employee of garment
company PT Great River International, said.

Under escort by dozens of security officers from the Jakarta
Military Command, the demonstrators refused to disperse until
their demands were met.

"We will spend the night here until the government and the
company managements meet our demands," Yanti said.

She urged Manpower Minister Fahmi Idris to pay serious
attention to their fate by summoning representatives of the
managements to discuss the reemployment requests.

Arum also urged the manpower minister to remind Great River
not to continue its plan to fire around 3,000 other workers.

"The (dismissal) plan should be canceled because it will
certainly lead the workers to create unrest and worsen the
economic condition," he said.

Ministry of Manpower's secretary-general Suwarto, who received
the demonstrators' representatives, was still awaiting the 21
companies' managements to hold negotiations with the workers.

Ariest Merdeka Sirait, coordinator of the Institute for Social
Sciences and Legal Institute (Sisbikum) which organized the
demonstration, told The Jakarta Post that despite the reform era,
the military was still interfering in industrial disputes.

"If the government wants to create industrial harmony,
military interference should be halted and the government should
encourage bipartite, or tripartite, negotiations between workers,
the managements and the Ministry of Manpower to solve disputes,"
he said.

He cited as an example that a man representing the workers of
PT Butterfly in Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta, was still missing
after attending negotiations with the East Jakarta military
district over mass dismissals at the factory recently. (rms)