HongkongBank has yet to heed deadline

JAKARTA (JP): Despite the deadline yesterday, the management of HongkongBank has yet to reemploy its 166 workers as stipulated by a decision of the arbitration body of the Ministry of Manpower.

The bank's public relations manager, Leila Djafaar, said the management was still considering any possibilities and aspects, including the rights, humanity and feelings of the majority of the workers who were not involved in and were against the strike which, she claimed, was illegal.

"If the bank's union has a right to appeal, we have the same right," Leila told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

She did not further discuss whether the management will appeal.

The arbitration body decided on July 22 that the management had to recall its employees through written notices and pay their salaries from May, when the bank terminated their employment.

The body gave 14 days to the management to honor the ruling.

The case was taken to the arbitration body late in May, following a strike by the bank's employees.

The strike, unionists said, was caused by the management's stalling of negotiations on a new collective labor agreement.

Leila called the workers' demands irrational because the city's arbitration body refused the demands on July 17.

The workers then appealed the case to the arbitration body of the Ministry of Manpower.

The head of the bank's union, Ugianto, said the arbitration body's decision obligates the bank to recall the workers back.

"We want to go back to work. It is the most important thing for us now," he told The Post yesterday.

He said the management will still refuse the decision in the name of the majority of the workers.

"But some of the workers are temporary workers who replaced us," he added. (jun)