Workers file complaint rights body

Workers file complaint rights body

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty eight workers from two textile factories
met with members of the National Commission on Human Rights
yesterday to complain about unfair treatment by their employers.

The workers were employees of PT Rajabrana and PT Ever
Shinetex Garment.

"We told the companies that they have violated our rights as
laborers. They did not respond, instead they treated us unfairly
afterwards by reducing our working hours, suspending us from the
job, and forcing us to leave the company without reasonable
severance pay", said one of the workers.

Problems between the workers and the companies came to a head
after the factory employees demanded that their holiday bonuses
be paid and taxes on their salaries exempted.

Prior to the meeting with the commission members, the workers
had referred their grievances to the government-recognized All
Indonesian Workers Union representatives at their factories. But
they felt the union gave them unsatisfactory answers.

One of the workers said that they had also filed their
complaints with the Manpower Ministry's provincial office in
Bogor, but all to no avail.

Sugiri, a member of the commission, accepted their complaint
and said that the commission would look into the case after
detailed information had been received from all sides.

"We accept the complaint and will go through with it. In line
with the regulation, the commission will first try to get
balanced information from all sides." Sugiri added.

Commenting on the issue, a staffer of Shinetex told The
Jakarta Post yesterday that in fact the company agreed to fulfill
the demands of the employees but needed some time to do so.

The management of PT Rajabrana was not available for comment.
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