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)