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)