Fired workers want more severance pay

Fired workers want more severance pay

JAKARTA (JP): At least 120 dismissed workers of PT Taat Subur
Fortuna in Citeureup, Bogor, demanded on Thursday the company
increase their severance pay according to existing manpower
regulations.

Fourteen representatives of the workers visited the Jakarta
Legal Aid Institute on Thursday to seek legal advice.

I. Wibowo, the workers' spokesman, said the company offered
the dismissed workers severance pay amounting to 70 percent of
their monthly salaries after the factory closed down in August
last year due to the prolonged economic crisis..

"We urged the company to raise the severance pay to at least
double the workers' monthly salaries as stated by manpower
regulations."

He said the workers, who had worked at the company for at
least eight years, earned between Rp 200,000 (US$22.20) and Rp
300,000 a month.

He said the Ministry of Manpower's Labor Dispute Arbitration
Board, which handled the dispute between the workers and the
company, decided in November last year to approve the dismissals,
but ordered the firm to pay each worker severance pay equal to
two month's salary.

The workers have frequently met with company executives to
press their demand for more severance pay, but to date they have
not received satisfaction from the company, he added.

Christina Rini, a lawyer at the legal aid institute, said on
behalf of the workers she would invite company executives to the
institute to discuss the problem.

"If the firm refuses to give the proper amount of severance
pay, we will ask the Cibinong District Court to seize the firm's
assets," Rini said.

Wibowo said management locked the factory's gates in January
to prevent workers from entering the grounds.

Because workers cannot enter the factory, they just sit in
front of the gates every day, he said.

"The workers have threatened not to leave the site until their
demands are met." (jun)