Ex-bank workers spurn job offers

Ex-bank workers spurn job offers

JAKARTA (JP): Most of the 17,000 former employees of 38 banks
closed down by the government last month appear to have little
interest in securing other jobs, if a four-day meeting organized
by the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) last week is
anything to go by.

The former employees' lack of enthusiasm was evident in the
the small turnout at the forum, held from April 5 to April 8 at
the Plaza Bapindo building on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta.

Only about 100 out of the 17,000 former employees attended the
"We Care" forum, at which a number of companies were invited to
offer job and investment opportunities to those recently made
redundant by the closure of the banks.

Contacted by The Jakarta Post on Saturday, two former bank
workers who attended the meeting said that most of the jobs on
offer were "extremely strange" to them. Besides, they said, most
of the companies asked to be paid for the positions on offer.

Yudi Prakoso from Bank Dharmala said the forum offered former
bank workers jobs in the agribusiness sector with a required
capital of Rp 500,000 (US$57).

"Besides, we don't have experience in agribusiness. And how
could we come up with the money, our severance pay has not been
paid yet?" Yudi said.

He said he found it strange that many of the companies at the
forum were insurance companies, which would only provide
commissions instead of a fixed income.

Another ex-worker, Stevanus from Bank Mashill, said most of
the jobs offered were not suited to the backgrounds of the laid-
off bank workers.

"Our many years experience in the banking industry has nothing
to do with the jobs offered during the meeting," Stevanus said.

Among the companies participating in the forum were four
insurance firms: Manulife Financial, Aetna, Astra CMG and Jiwa
Sraya; and two marketing firms: CNI and Century 21.

Trubus, a do-it-yourself farming magazine, was also offering
several positions.

IBRA executive Franklin told the Post on Thursday: "The ex-
workers seemed only to want permanent jobs with fixed incomes.
Indeed, they could earn more in jobs offered by the firms in this
forum."

Employees of several insurance agents, for example, also earn
high incomes, Franklin said.

"The former bank workers should get on with their lives by
thinking about other jobs instead of conducting rallies to demand
severance pay.

"In fact, they have already been dismissed from the banks," he
said. (jun)