Workers protest over punishment

TANGERANG (JP): Three credit installment collectors of private company PT Columbia protested yesterday to their union after being ordered to stand for three hours for failing to meet their daily collection target of Rp 600,000 (US$200).

The three collectors, identified as Cendana Bangun, Nurjana and Syahrul Ropik, filed a complaint over the Sept. 20 punishment to the Tangerang chapter of the Federation of All-Indonesian Workers Union.

"Besides being forced to stand for three hours, we were also mocked in front of other workers," Cendana said. "If the company finds us guilty, just fire us. Don't force us to do something that is done by elementary school students," he said.

Nurjana said that since the punishment the three had been given no further assignments but had not been formally fired either.

He said that they failed to meet the target because they did not have the heart to force customers who did not really have enough money to pay the installments.

Ilham Wahyuni of Columbia, said that in response to the three workers' initial protest, the company sent them a letter of apology on Sept. 21.

"The punishment was given based on a consensus of the firm's managers with the aim of encouraging the workers to work harder," she said. (41)