Dismissed workers want severance pay

Dismissed workers want severance pay

BEKASI: Around 250 former workers of private company PT Espira
took to the streets in Cibitung, east of the Jakarta, demanding
that the company give them severance pay amounting to six-months
salary.

The workers, who were dismissed six months ago, rallied in
front of the company factory, which had produced dolls, and
accused it of playing foul.

The demonstrators then went to the local district court,
seeking legal assistance.

Yusi, an employee who had worked with the company for five
years, said she had received no salary for the last six months.
She said she demanding her salary plus severance pay.

Bekasi District Court president Harjoto, who received the
representatives of the protesters, asked them to provide the
court with a detailed list of the company's assets.

The company claims it is bankrupt.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after Harjoto promised to
assist them. --Antara.

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ANPAj..r..
Greater-fire-Tambora
Fire razes Tambora
JP/8/GREAT

Fire leaves 1,000 homeless in Tambora

JAKARTA: More than 1,000 residents of the densely populated
Jembatan Lima area of Tambora, West Jakarta, were left homeless
on Monday after a fire broke out at about 2 p.m.

Mingan of the West Jakarta Firefighters Brigade said 27 fire
engines were sent to fight the fire. "We managed to put it out,"
he said, adding that the fire started from an explosion of a gas
stove.

He said that they did not know how many houses were gutted by
fire, but that the total could be in the hundreds and were mainly
those along Jl. Teratai.

He also said that there were no estimates yet on the extent of
damage done by the fire. JP

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ANPAj..r..
Greater-bomb-hoax

JP/8/GREAT

Employees blase over bomb threats

JAKARTA: Some of Jakarta's residents are becoming immune to
bomb threats, although several blasts have rocked the city
lately.

Employees working in the Arcadia building on Jl. TB Simatupang
in South Jakarta did not pay much attention to a bomb threat they
received on Monday at their office as it was the second threat to
have been called in.

An operator, who received the call at about 2 p.m., alerted
the building's security guards, an employee, Budi, told
www.detik.com, an on-line news provider.

"The caller said there was a bomb planted in the building's
basement and that it was about to explode," he said.

Security guards then contacted Pasar Minggu Police and told
all employees to evacuate the building.

"The employees, however, did not take the announcement
seriously as there had been one (bomb threat) before but nothing
happened," said Budi.

The employees, however, looked worried as they left the
building, although they walked out calmly with most saying that
they believed it was just another hoax.

They then watched the city police bomb squad fan through the
building to find the bomb. -- JP