Fired workers demand severance payments

TANGERANG (JP): Some 700 out of 1,200 dismissed workers of PT Bertoni Sari Jaya, a shoe manufacturer in the Manis Industrial Zone on Jl. Raya Serang, Banten, staged a rally at the Tangerang manpower office on Monday, demanding their overdue severance pay.

The rally was marred with violence as protesters threw stones and broke several windows of the manpower office.

The angry workers claimed they were deceived three times by company president director Andrianto Wijaya, who has delayed handing over payments.

The workers arrived in five trucks at the manpower office on Jl. Raya Cikokol in front of the Cikokol bus terminal at 3 p.m.

"On June 29, 2001, the company director made an agreement with workers that he would make severance payments on July 9," one of the workers' representatives, Hakim, told The Jakarta Post.

He said that the agreement was witnessed by the head of the Tangerang manpower office, Hasan Affandi, and local councilor Eddy Suyanto.

He said the director failed to make the payments in due time and promised to pay on July 13, but then it was delayed until July 20. The workers have still not received any money.

"We have been at the manufacturer's office since Friday, but none of the company's management will meet with workers to clarify the reason for the persistent delays," a worker, Darmin, said.

Darmin said the management halted all activities at the manufacturing plant on June 30 and dismissed 1,200 workers due to financial problems.

Meanwhile, councilor Eddy Suyanto, who has received a dozen workers' representatives at the manpower office, told the workers that he had talked on the phone with PT Bertoni director, Andrianto, who told him that the company's assets and funds were not enough to pay out severance payments.

"Andrianto told me that he was still trying to collect money from several other sources, and to please be patient," Eddy told the workers.

"We are tired of the promises and our stomachs cannot be compromised since we don't have anything to feed our families," Darmin told the legislator.

Darmin said the workers had vowed not to leave the manpower office until the company director came out and paid them. He alleged that the director had moved some company assets from the closed manufacturing plant to his two other plants in Serpong and Tangerang.

Pasaribu, a lawyer who represented the company, said that the director was willing to make installments on the amount owed to workers and asked them to be patient.

But the workers were doubtful, saying that the lawyer had also once deceived them.(01)