Indonesian Independence Day: Former Sritex Employees Hope Danantara Will Help Settle Severance Pay

Dozens of former employees of the textile factory PT Sritex used the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Indonesian independence to renew their fight for severance pay. The former workers held an independence ceremony and a demonstration on the roadside directly in front of the textile factory gates. A number of national anthems and poems were performed during the ceremony, which was simple and sombre in tone.

After the ceremony, dozens of former employees of the textile company that once thrived at the Asian level presented a number of demands regarding unpaid severance pay and holiday allowances, urging that these be resolved with government assistance. Agus Wicaksono, coordinator of the former Sritex employees’ action, expressed strong hope that the sale of Sritex assets to the government through Danantara could provide a solution for the payment of workers’ entitlements.

“This independence commemoration ceremony and protest action are a symbol of our concern. We hope the government truly listens and fights for the rights of former workers that remain unresolved since the company was declared bankrupt,” said Agus. The former Sritex workers continue to wait anxiously for the auction process of PT Sritex’s assets to be completed. “We hope the government and the curator hear us, and that the settlement of workers’ rights can be prioritised through the sale of Sritex assets,” added Andreas, a representative of the former workers.