5,000 garment workers to lose jobs

5,000 garment workers to lose jobs

JAKARTA: At least 5,000 workers of garment factories in Bogor
regency might lose their jobs due to the decline of orders from
Europe and the United States over the past three months.

Head of the local manpower agency, Suherdis, told Antara on
Wednesday that a number of employers had reported to his office
about their plan to lay off workers because of declining orders.

He said he told them that, after laying off staff, employers
should pay their workers at least 85 percent of their monthly
payment every month. If business improves, employers should
rehire them. But if things get worse, they could ask for approval
from the Ministry of Manpower to dismiss their workers.

For the past two months, there has been no overtime work at
the garment factories and the workers now work shifts every other
week.

The workers used to earn at least Rp 300,000 a month in
overtime fees.

One of them, Marno, said that he now brings home Rp 400,000 a
month - the minimum wage set by the government - compared to
between Rp 700,000 and Rp 1 million, which he earned before the
factory where he works began to face declining orders. --JP