Ex-employees from closed bank continue rallies

JAKARTA (JP): Former employees from at least 18 closed banks vowed to take to the streets on Monday for a massive rally, unless severance payment demands are fulfilled, a spokesman said on Friday.

Spokesman Yudi Prakoso said the ex-bank employees made the decision after a meeting between protesters and executives from the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) on Friday morning.

He said the meeting was deadlocked, with neither their former employers or the government willing to meet the protester's demand for a redundancy package at least ten times the value of that initially offered.

"Glenn Yusuf (IBRA chief) told representatives from the closed banks that he had met with several bank owners, but he could not decide on the payment (amount)," Yudi, who was among the representatives at the meeting, said.

Citing a subsequent engagement, Glenn concluded the meeting, promising to reveal the final payment offer next Thursday, Yudi said.

The redundant back employees will press for the announcement of the final figure and the method of the payment on Monday, Yudi said.

"Or, we will take to the streets in greater numbers."

Unsatisfied with the morning discussion, Yudi and 1,000 colleagues rallied in the afternoon outside the Wisma Bank Danamon building on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta, in which the IBRA office is located.

The protesters wore headbands inscribed with the names of their respective former banks and carried banners.

They arrived at the building at about 2:30 p.m. and yelled and mocked officials from the agency for prevaricating on the severance payment issue.

"Glenn (the agency chief) and Kemalsyah (the agency lawyer) have colluded with bank owners. So they cannot yet decide the payment," one of the ex-employees said in a free-speech forum within the building's compound.

The other protesters yelled: "Money..., money..." Some of them cited the agency as the party responsible for the massive retrenchment.

None of the agency's executives could be reached for comment on Friday.

The protesters left the building at 4:30 p.m.

On Thursday, aggrieved bank employees threatened to reveal, as a last resort, malfeasance practiced by bank owners, if their demands are not fulfilled. (jun)