Indomaret HQ Stormed by Staff Over Overtime Pay Changes

Indomaret employees stormed the company’s headquarters in Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK), North Jakarta, on Tuesday (26 May) to protest reports that overtime pay for public holidays was being replaced with additional days off. The staff, represented by PUK SPAI PT Indomarco Prismatama Tangerang, presented six demands in banners, including rejecting coercion against workers, upholding the right to overtime pay, opposing the replacement of overtime with days off, demanding compliance with labor laws, taking action against intimidation, and preserving industrial relations. Ahmad Saifuddin, a union representative, told journalists: ‘Today, we are fighting for the rights and justice of Indomaret staff, particularly regarding overtime pay on public holidays being replaced with days off.’ He stressed that government regulations require companies to pay overtime on public holidays, and the new policy is detrimental to workers. ‘Employees must be paid, not given days off. The law is clear,’ he said. Saifuddin expressed disappointment, adding: ‘Working on national holidays without pay is very painful.’ Workers reported intimidation from management when refusing to accept the new policy. Ahmad stated that supervisors and area managers across all branches had pressured staff to sign documents approving the change, which lacked official company letterhead, logos, or reference numbers. ‘They forced us to sign a document that was hastily prepared, illegal, and lacked clear communication from PT Indomarco Prismatama. Staff were intimidated into signing, with threats of transfer or dismissal,’ he explained. Another employee, Winda Ayu, said managers threatened career progression, stating: ‘Supervisors and area managers told us we would never be promoted to store manager or assistant manager. They said things like, “You won’t advance, you’ll be transferred to another store.”’ Indomaret denied fully removing public holiday overtime pay. Gondo Sudjoni, Customer Relationship Management Executive Director, stated: ‘It hasn’t been removed. There are minor changes. Overtime pay still applies in some cases.’ He explained there was a misunderstanding between management and staff, and the company was collecting all feedback for discussion. ‘Global economic conditions require business balance,’ he said, citing rising fuel, packaging, and raw material costs. ‘All operational costs are increasing, so we need balance in business operations.’ Gondo denied intimidation claims, asking: ‘Why would the company intimidate staff? If employees disagree with policies, they can resign. There should be a win-win situation between workers and the company.’ He added that discussions regarding the workers’ demands were ongoing with the Ministry of Manpower, with trade unions involved.