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.