Laid-off workers demand insurance payments

JAKARTA (JP): More than 500 garment workers rallied at state- owned social security firm PT Jamsostek on Wednesday to demand insurance payments more than three years after they were laid off when their company folded.

Claiming to represent 5,000 dismissed workers of PT Mayatexdian Group, they insisted the firm make payments totaling at least Rp 1.75 billion (US$194,444). The company was controlled by former president Soeharto's second son Bambang Trihatmodjo.

"We demand the insurance firm pay the claims now. We are tired of visiting here since we were dismissed in December 1995," workers' spokeswoman Indri said outside the building at Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta.

Wearing red headbands, the workers earlier visited the Ministry of Manpower at 9 a.m. to meet the manpower minister Fahmi Idris. However, he was not present.

The workers, mostly female, then traveled to Jamsostek headquarters in three buses provided by the ministry.

Indri said workers were dismissed with average severance pay of only Rp 770,000 each due to the firm's closure.

She said workers also received insurance payments of Rp 200,000 each from Jamsostek.

Indri said workers employed at the firm for five years should have received Rp 550,000 each in insurance.

According to Jamsostek, she said, the garment firm was entitled to only half of their premium payments.

Workers have often held demonstrations since their dismissal, she said.

Five representatives of the workers met with Jamsostek's executive Bambang Purwoko for two hours on Wednesday and an agreement was made for payment of the claims.

But most of the workers demanded the insurance firm pay the claims immediately because of the amount of time which already elapsed.

Poniati, one of the workers, said most of her colleagues were now employed at garment factories in Cilincing, North Jakarta.

She said other workers lived outside Jakarta and were forced to pay more for transportation to the Jamsostek office.

The workers finally left the Jamsostek building at 1 p.m. after being convinced their claims would be honored soon. (jun)