More people fired in Central Java

SEMARANG, Central Java: As many as 1,268 workers here have been laid off in the last four months due to the economic crisis, an official said yesterday.

Head of the local Ministry of Manpower office, Bambang Hudi, said the number of layoffs would continue should the current crisis continue.

"The companies they were working for have been badly battered by the monetary crisis," Hudi said.

Head of the Central Java branch of the Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI) Soedjio added that about 40,000 workers had been laid off in the past few months.

Most of the companies dismissing their workers were involved in the textile, electronic, property, or banking sectors, Soedjio said. (har)