Bandung workers protest dismissals

BANDUNG: At least 2,000 employees of garment manufacturer PT KH Fortune Garmen Majalaya, located in the Bandung regency, rallied at the provincial council office on Monday to protest the dismissal of their colleagues.

The spokesman for the protesters, Rusman Effendi, said they were demanding the councillors meet with the company's management and workers' representatives to discuss the dismissals and what they said was the unfair compensation the dismissed workers received.

Rusman said the company recently fired 250 workers, giving each dismissed worker Rp 286,000 in severance pay, or the equivalent of one month's salary.

He said the workers were demanding severance packages equal to six month's salary.

Effendi added that the company would soon fire another 300 workers, reportedly to cut costs.

The chairman of the Council's Commission E for public welfare, Ruchiyat Noor, promised to hold a meeting on Wednesday with the company's management to relay the protesters' demands.(25/lup)