PT DI, workers offered last chance to negotiate

PT DI, workers offered last chance to negotiate

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Central Committee for Settlements of Labor Disputes (P4P)
asked on Thursday that the management and 6,600 dismissed workers
of ailing aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI)
go back to the negotiating table for a solution.

"All 15 members of P4P agreed that the management and workers
need to seek win-win solution in the next 12 days, otherwise P4P
will make its own decision in the dispute on Jan. 27," P4P
Chairman Sabar Sianturi announced after meeting the two sides.

Alexander Sinaga, a P4P member, added that PT DI president
Edwin Soedarmo should listen to P4P's offer, otherwise the
management could lose the case, and the workers -- with the help
of third parties -- could politicize the whole issue.

He said the committee had the impression that the management's
reasons for laying off the workers was weak.

During the five-hour hearing, Edwin supposedly did not express
a convincing argument for the massive labor dismissal at the
state-owned company.

"The dismissal was inevitable because the company has been
losing money since 1991 and we could not pay debts to local and
foreign creditors," Edwin replied, when asked why the company was
suffering financial problems.

Arief Winardi, chairman of PT DI workers Trade Union (SP FKK
PT DI), opposed the lay off and called it irrational, saying that
the management could not blame the financial difficulties on the
workers because the difficulties were caused by corruption,
inefficiency and mismanagement.

"The corruption and inefficiency have cost the company between
Rp 2 trillion and Rp 3 trillion since 1997. We have data and
evidence on a number of incidences of corruption and inefficient
methods since 1997. Everyone knows the company is a cash cow for
the current regime and previous ones," he said.

Arief insisted that the company's main problem was not
overstaffing but, mismanagement and unprofessionalism.

"Despite a difficult market for its main products, PT DI has
also has other units that have made a profit.

Lawyer Johnson Pandjaitan who is working on the case, said he
and the dismissed workers would wage an all-out battle to win.

"Thank God, we have received moral, political and financial
support to fight this case. We are seeking more political support
to pressure the government to heed our demands," he said.