Bank workers want protection

JAKARTA (JP): The employees of eight nationalized banks urged the government on Tuesday to clarify the merger of their banks with Bank Danamon and demanded that their representatives be involved in the process.

The employees of Bank BNN, Bank Tiara, Bank Duta, Bank Jaya, Bank Pos Nusantara, Bank Rama, Bank Tamara and Bank Danamon said their involvement in the merger would ensure the protection of workers' interests.

"We don't want to have to stage protest rallies later on to fight for our interests," Sam R. Soelaeman, the head of the eight nationalized banks' union, said.

Sam said the eight banks, which have been under the control of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency since March, employed a total of 18,000 workers. (03)