Workers complain over no severance pay

JAKARTA (JP): Around 40 PT Bhara Indah Unit Garment employees, located on Jl. Daan Mogot in West Jakarta, went to the City Council yesterday to protest their company's policy of coercion, done in an effort to avoid compensation.

"We urge members of the City Council to help persuade the company to discontinue its practice of forcing workers to resign to avoid severance payment," Nafsiah, a member of the delegation, told the City Council's Commission A, in charge of government, security and order affairs.

She explained that around 150 workers, who had worked in the company from April 8 to Sept. 8 this year, were ordered to sign a resignation letter when they took their last salary.

"The personnel manager told us to sign resignation letters because the company had gone bankrupt. We refused to do it knowing that by signing the letters, we would not be entitled to severance payment," Nafsiah said.

She said that the company also owed them six-days back pay, amounting to Rp 4,000 (US$1.83) per day plus transportation and lunch allowances.

"We have been waiting since Sept. 8 and can stand it no longer. We badly need the money to support our living," she said.

According to the workers, the company, which was producing garments for export as well as for the local market, has had problems paying late wages since the beginning of their operation in April.

"Payments should be given every two weeks but it's always late, including the last one," Suripah said, adding that orders for the company's products had fallen drastically over the last few weeks and as a result, workers had nothing to do.

The workers also said that the company was only a sub- contractor for another bigger company, which is located in Jl. KH Hasyim Ashari in Central Jakarta.

"We do not want to know about the status of our company, all we want is our severance payment and the six-days of wages," said Sari Idayani, another worker at PT Bhara.

When asked about the condition of the office and factory, the workers said that the factory is now empty, though the machines are still there.

Members of the City Council's commission said that they will hold a meeting with the company management to settle the problem. (yns)