Textile company workers oppose mass dismissals

JAKARTA (JP): Seven hundred workers dismissed at short notice from their jobs with the Bekasi-based textile producer PT Pusaka Buana Raya intend to fight the company's management for a more just settlement.

The employees, who have each worked for the firm for between five and 20 years, visited the National Commission on Human Rights on Monday in search of support for their cause.

Farid Mu'azd, a lawyer representing the workers, said that the company's president Ridwan Lesmana asked his factory manager to stop production on Nov. 25.

"The management said that the firm had been forced to stop production because orders had dried up as a result of the economic crisis," Farid from the Indonesian Workers Legal Aid said.

He said the firm had offered one month's salary to each worker as severance pay -- between Rp 200,000 (US$26) and Rp 300,000 per person.

However, the workers wanted severance pay equivalent to four times their monthly wages, he explained.

"In hard times like this, severance pay equivalent to one month's salary is not enough," Farid said.

He said the workers were also angry that the dismissals had been announced without the management first discussing the matter with them.

Jamhari, who worked for the company, said the permanent closure of the factory was announced at 1 p.m. on Nov. 24, while many employees were still on their shifts.

"We were shocked by the announcement. We were asked to take our severance pay and stop working the next day," Jamhari added.

He said that 500 workers were dismissed last year after two of five production lines in the factory were shut down.

He revealed that many of the workers dismissed last year had subsequently been reemployed in the firm's cleaning services division.

Early last month, the firm's cleaning service workers staged a protest against alleged mistreatment outside the Bekasi office of the Ministry of Manpower, he added.

"We don't know why, but suddenly the firm announced that the factory was going to be closed down because there were no orders. We do not believe that is the real reason," he said.

Company executives could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Human rights commission members Joko Soegianto and Soegiri promised the workers they would raise the matter with the company's directors and the relevant government officials.

The workers visited the House of Representatives en route to the commission's offices. Twenty five representatives of the workers were received by members of the ruling Golkar faction. (jun)