Garment workers protest dismissals

Garment workers protest dismissals

JAKARTA (JP): Some 17 former workers of garment manufacturer
PT Kemenangan Langgeng in North Jakarta visited the National
Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday to complain about their
dismissals.

The workers' spokeswoman, Atin, told commission member BN
Marbun that the company dismissed them because they set up an
independent workers union called the Independent Garment Labor
Union on Oct. 1.

"To set up an independent workers union is our right. The
company cannot fire us only because of that," Atin, who is also
the union's chairwoman, said.

The workers, who were accompanied by lawyers from the FAS
legal aid institute, set up a union because they were adverse to
joining the government-backed All-Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI),
she said.

The company offered the workers severance pay of Rp 200,000
(US$22.20) each, but they refused the offer, she said.

Marbun seemed unhappy with the presence of lawyers in the
commission's meeting room and told them to leave, but one of the
lawyers, Nikson, rejected the demand, saying that Marbun had no
right to tell them to leave the room.

"I just want to talk with the workers," said the commission
member, who promised the workers he would send a letter
concerning the matter to the company.

The company's executives could not be reached for comment on
Tuesday. A receptionist at the firm said there had been no
dismissals from the company. (jun)