Workers protest over punishment

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)