Don't postpone payment of Idul Fitri bonus: Golkar
Don't postpone payment of Idul Fitri bonus: Golkar
JAKARTA (JP): The head of Golkar's manpower division has called on businesses to pay up their Idul Fitri allowances in order to prevent any unrest over the holidays.
In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, Marzuki Achmad said that the failure of some companies to pay the allowances is against the law and could result in strikes.
"Again, I call on businessmen not to postpone giving their workers the allowances or to cut the amount," Marzuki said, adding that government officials should take action against those businesses that violate the law.
The government has instructed companies to pay the allowances two weeks before Idul Fitri on Feb. 20.
Should financial constraints force the postponement of allowance payments, he said, a request and proof must be submitted to the manpower ministry.
In the same statement, the ruling political grouping called on workers who have already received their allowances to continue working and to not leave work until due time. They should also return from the holidays as scheduled, he added.
Numerous workers demanding their holiday pay have gone on strike in the city and in its surrounding areas since the beginning of the fasting month in January.
The latest protests occurred at two garment companies in Tangerang, 30 km West of here, where about 1,000 workers went on a rampage.
About 1,000 PT Frans Brother Sejati workers went on strike on Monday and destroyed 22 cars owned by the company's officials, who had promised to pay them their holiday bonus on Feb. 10.
The management claimed that the delay was due to the three days of flooding that hit Jakarta, from where the money had to be brought in.
The workers are reportedly discussing the matter with the company's management.
Strike
Meanwhile, some 200 PT Serat Sutra Indah Nugraha workers have threatened to go on strike unless the company pays their Idul Fitri allowances today, as promised.
Head of company's All-Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI) branch, Chepi Syarifudin, told the Post yesterday that the agreement was reached after officials from the company, the union and the manpower ministry met on Tuesday.
Chepi said the workers could not accept the company's plan to pay the allowances after the holidays on Feb. 20 and 21, which the company said was caused by financial constraints. (03)