Painters seek council help over dismissal

Painters seek council help over dismissal

JAKARTA (JP): Around 20 painters from an animation company
lodged a protest at the City Council yesterday over the
confiscation of their working facilities by the company's
commissioner as an indication of dismissal by the owner.

Ramli Muhidin, one of the painters of PT Bintang Jenaka Kartun
Film, told reporters that the rift between the company's
commissioner, Djojo Gunawan, and the president, Syapei Patanga,
had led Djojo into taking all of the company's production
equipment on July 5 at 10 a.m.

"All of our equipment such as drawing tables, chairs, paints,
computers, pencils and even the animation paper are gone," he
said.

Ramli said that the company, located at Jl. Peta Barat No. 89
in Kalideres, West Jakarta, produces such famous cartoon series
as Dora Emon, Conan the Barbarian, Willow Town and Rai and the
Little Pig.

He added that the company exported most of its products to
Japan and other countries. It employs 165 workers, including the
20 painters.

Ramli said that the company's president has tried to replace
the equipment with local products.

"But those local things are useless, their low quality makes
our works worthless," he said.

He said that although all the employees' salaries have been
paid by Syapei, they still feel insecure about their employment
status. He also said that he had reported the matter to the city
police, the city chapter of the Agency for the Coordination of
Support for National Security (Bakorstanasda) and the Ministry of
Manpower. So far there has been no action taken.

"We will tell our grievances to the city councilors and we
would ask them to help us return to work again," he said.

The painters were received by councilor Salam Sumangat, a
member of Commission E in charge of manpower affairs.

Salam told reporters that there is an indication of covert
dismissal.

"It is a classic indication which is usually practiced by some
businessmen to avoid paying any severance pay to their dismissed
workers," he said.

According to Salam, who is also chairman of the Jakarta
chapter of the All-Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI), such covert
dismissal will enable the employer to tell their employees that
the company's financial condition prevents it from giving them
severance pay.

He said that he will report the case to the Ministry of
Manpower and ask them to take legal action against the company's
commissioner. (03)