Ex-employees from closed bank continue rallies
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)