Workers threaten to occupy factory

Workers threaten to occupy factory

TANGERANG (JP): A group of 105 suspended workers from PT Fajar
Sun Master, the manufacturer of Cosmos household equipment,
threatened on Wednesday to occupy their workplace if they are not
reinstated.

The workers' dissatisfaction stems from an alleged promise by
the company's personnel manager, Henry Edward, that the workers
would be rehired.

"We're running out of patience here ... we're being tossed
around, without any certainty of our fate," said Mansur, one of
the workers.

The workers, who have been suspended for over a year due to
the prolonged economic crisis, have repeatedly requested
discussions with the company's management on the matter. They
said management had failed to respond to their requests.

The group's legal representative, Buntu S. Tampubolon, said on
Tuesday that the company had been abusing the workers' rights.

"The management have not given any compensation to the workers
for over a year, and then suddenly fired them without giving them
any severance pay," Tampubolon said.

Law No. 22/1957 on Labor stipulates that when a workplace
experiences financial difficulties, under certain conditions
workers are entitled to at least 50 percent of their salary every
month.

The group said they would pursue due legal process to resolve
the matter. (41/edt)