'Antara' labor activists fired

'Antara' labor activists fired

JAKARTA: Two union activists at state-run news agency Antara, Adi
Lazuardi and Sukirman Anwar, claimed they were dismissed last
Friday for calling a press conference to criticize the news
agency's chief, Mohammad Sobary.

Adi was the chairman of the Antara Workers' Union (SPA), and
Sukiman was the union's secretary-general.

SPA, which Adi says has over 100 members from Antara's 600
total employees, has demanded Sobari's resignation over what the
union calls two years of mismanagement and poor leadership.

Adi and Sukiman claim Sobari dismissed them after accusing
them of broadcasting Antara's internal affairs to outsiders by
calling the press conference.

"We tried to meet with Sobari on numerous occasions, but he
has always refused to see us for various reasons," said Adi, who
had worked at the news agency for over 10 years.

An Antara journalist, speaking on the condition of anonymity,
confirmed Adi's statement, saying Sobari avoided meeting with
SPA, which is not recognized by Antara's management.

The dispute between Adi and Sobari had been simmering since
last year, when Sobari withdrew Adi's name as a candidate for the
chairmanship of Antara's Employee Council.

Angered by the move, Adi and some 50 other Antara employees
established SPA, which was registered with the Ministry of
Manpower and Transmigration last month.

Former president Abdurrahman Wahid appointed Sobari to lead
Antara in 2000, replacing Parni Hadi. --JP