Bank employees mull rally in support of colleagues

Bank employees mull rally in support of colleagues

JAKARTA (JP): A newly founded workers union threatened
yesterday to stage "a massive but peaceful" rally soon unless the
government settles the fate of 12,000 employees of three
suspended private banks.

Giving no definite date or place for the protest, the
Federation of Indonesian Financial Institutions and Banking
Workers Organizations spokesman, Tavip, said he would soon call
his contacts, including those at the three banks, to realize the
plan unless there are clear signs of a favorable settlement for
the 12,000 workers.

"We're ready to hold a massive but peaceful demonstration to
support their demands," Tavip, who claimed to be a former
employee of HongKong Bank in Jakarta, told a media conference at
the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI).

So far, he said, the union, known by its abbreviation Forkuba,
only has dozens of members but has contacts with workers
throughout the industry.

According to Tavip, Forkuba is insisting the government does
not dismiss the 12,000 employees of Bank Dagang Nasional
Indonesia (BDNI), Bank Umum Nasional (BUN) and Modern Bank, which
the government suspended Friday pending their liquidation.

The government, instead, should provide them with jobs at
sister companies of the three banks, he said, but did not
elaborate on the fate of the existing workers at the companies.

If the government, he said, had to dismiss the bank employees,
it should invite the employees' representatives to meet the bank
executives in order to get fair severance payment.

Learning from the many cases of financially troubled banks in
this country, the government should discuss everything related to
employees with workers unions before being approving their
dismissal, he said.

YLBHI's labor division head, Teten Masduki, suggested the
government rule that banks should give a portion of their shares
to the employees to allow the latter to partly control the banks'
operations.

Investigation

The police said yesterday they had started to investigate the
three suspended banks.

According to National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar
Sianipar, officers have prepared a preliminary investigation into
the three banks, including the listing of possible suspects and
tracing and collecting evidence.

"As investigators, the police have to be ready to thoroughly
probe the banks. This is a crucial matter which needs to be
handled carefully," Togar told reporters.

But, he said, the police were still waiting for the final
result of Bank Indonesia's investigation.

Besides the three suspended banks, National Police economic
crime detectives are also investigating dozens of top executives
of the 16 insolvent banks that the government closed last
November for their alleged violation of the country's banking
laws.

The police have already named 24 suspects from seven banks.

Togar said yesterday that police have summoned 65 people as
witnesses in the probe of the seven banks: Sejahtera Bank Umum
(SBU), Bank Harapan Sentosa (BHS), South East Asia Bank (SEAB),
Bank Pasific, Bank Anrico, Bank Kosa Graha and Bank Pinaesaan.

"The witnesses include Bank Indonesia staff, employees of the
seven banks and other reliable witnesses such as customers of the
troubled banks," he said.

Togar also corrected an earlier statement that three of the 24
suspects had been put on the police's most wanted list since they
were thought to have left the country.

"Currently only two suspects, Hendra Rahardja and Eko Edi
Putranto, respectively chief commissioner and president of BHS,
are on the red notice to be hunted by Interpol.

"The other suspect, Lesmana Basuki, the SBU commissioner, has
met his police summons. He's not leaving the country," Togar
said. (jun/edt)