Mandala stewardesses seek legal advice over dismissal
Mandala stewardesses seek legal advice over dismissal
JAKARTA (JP): Forty Mandala Airlines stewardesses took legal
advice yesterday over their dismissal last month, a decision they
claim was groundless and unclear.
Wearing their yellow-and-white uniforms, the staff told
executives of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute that their
dismissals were baseless since the private airline's performance
is currently improving.
"The company has just opened three new routes in addition to
the previous 12 routes," Rika Wijayanti, the protesters'
spokeswoman, said.
"It is also operating one more plane, making the total fleet
nine planes."
The airline even raised the employees' salaries, which in
January were halved on economic grounds.
Last month, the employees' monthly salaries -- ranging from Rp
150,000 (US$9) to Rp 1 million -- were cut only 10 percent, Rika
said.
"It shows that the company's financial performance is getting
better. So there's no legitimate reason to dismiss us," Rika
said.
The stewardesses, who are seeking legal advice from the
institute, also questioned the transparency of the decision.
"Why me? Why us? And why not the others?" Rika asked.
According to the stewardesses, Mandala dismissed them on June
9 through letters distributed by the office's cleaning service
employees.
Some of the stewardesses were on pregnancy and maternity
leaves when they received their letters, which, Rika said,
violated manpower regulations.
The company invited the employees to discuss the dismissal but
the parties failed to reach an agreement, she said.
During the meeting at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, the
stewardesses demanded their in-flight service manager Lutfia
Hidayatie and her assistants be fired by Mandala because of their
unprofessional attitudes.
Institute lawyer Rita Olivia, who is representing the
stewardesses, told the media that she invited Mandala's
executives to attend yesterday's meeting.
In its response, the company said in a letter that the
management refused to meet with the stewardesses, saying that the
case has been handed over to the city office of the Ministry of
Manpower.
Mandala's business director Armyn Siregar said in the letter
that the company dismissed 40 of its 145 stewardesses because of
the economic crisis.
Armyn said the company would give severance pay in accordance
with the manpower regulations.
Rita said the institute will again ask the company to discuss
the dispute at the institute's office.
"But if the company refuses to meet with the stewardesses, we
will visit the company's head office on Jl. Angkasa, Central
Jakarta to ask for an explanation," she said. (jun)