Sunter workers fired for lodging complaint

Sunter workers fired for lodging complaint

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty four workers of PT Nusantara Teknik
Dimensi Sentosa, a heavy equipment factory in Sunter, North
Jakarta, claimed yesterday they were fired for filing a complaint
with the city council on Tuesday.

The workers went to the city council again yesterday to report
the case.

R. Tobing, the leader of the group, said that a company
executive told the workers they were all fired.

"When we arrived at the factory to work this morning the gate
was locked and we were told that we were no longer employees of
the company," R. Tobing said.

He said the company fired the employees because of their
complaints to the City Council's commission E, which oversees
people's welfare.

On Tuesday about 30 of the company's workers filed a complaint
with the city council over the Idul Fitri bonus.

The employees contend that the company has not yet fulfilled
its obligation to give them their due Idul Fitri bonuses and
salaries. They also complained about the management firing eight
workers without clear reasons.

The salaries for the company's 35 workers range from Rp 35,000
to Rp 90,000 per week.

The company, according to Nasmi, one of the fired workers,
had promised to give them Idul Fitri bonuses and their weekly
salaries on Feb. 28 but refused to pay on that date. Because the
management had never explained their actions, the workers went on
strike on March 13 .

The management denies having fired all of its workers.

"It is not true and they were not fired," Bambang Supriyono, a
staff member of the management, told reporters yesterday.

The company needs its employees, Bambang said, adding that it
would be impossible to fire them at the moment.

Bambang explained that the company suffered financial losses
last year and that it could not afford to give adequate Idul
Fitri bonuses.

"We could only afford to give Rp 15,000 to Rp 20,000 to each
worker as bonuses," he said, admitting that the bonus was far
less than last year's when each employee received Rp 300,000.

It seems, he reasoned, that the workers cannot accept this
fact.

On Tuesday it was reported that no workers were on the job. "I
don't care if the company fires me," said Sutrisno, a company
employee of three years. (yns)