PT DI president rejects suspension delay

PT DI president rejects suspension delay

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Employees of state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara
Indonesia pack a state administrative courtroom in Bandung, which
heard on Monday a lawsuit against the company's president director
over the suspension of their work.

In their lawsuit, the employees demanded the postponement of a
decree by the company's chief executive that sent the workers
home, and asked the court to tell the president director to allow
them to resume normal working at the company.

PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) president director Edwin
Sudarmo, through his lawyer Monang Saragih, told the panel of
judges, led by Judge Arpani Mansyur, that the decision to suspend
the employees aimed at saving the company from bankruptcy and had
been approved by the workers' union.

Therefore, Monang Saragih said, Edwin Sudarmo stood by his
decision and refused to delay the implementation of decree No.
SKEP/0589/030.02/PTD/UT/07, as demanded by the employees.

Nevertheless, the company might rehire some of the employees
if the company's financial situation improved.

He also guaranteed all employees would have the same
opportunity to be rehired by the company after a selection
process by a neutral, third party.

Separately, head of the lawyers' team for the employees
Suryadi told the court that it was untrue that the workers' union
had approved the decree.

"The decree was made very one-sided; there was no early
negotiation initially. Even some management people didn't know
about it," he said.

The hearing was adjourned to Aug. 11.