11 September 2010

No holiday bonus and no job, security officers hold sit-in action

Detik.com - September 7, 2010

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – It's like having fallen, and then have the stairs fall on top of you. Such is the fate of scores of Saphire Square security guards in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

With the Lebaran holidays at the end of the fasting month fast approaching, not only have they not received any holiday bonuses (THR) but have also been sacked from their jobs.

"We have not had a pay day for one-and-a-half months and there has also been no 2010 Idul Fitri THR", complained Yanto, one of the security guards holding a sit-in protest action in front of the Saphire Square terrace on Jl. Laksda Adisucipto in Yogyakarta on Tuesday September 7.

Yanto and 41 other security guard employees are contract workers outsourced from the company PT Primanusa Purnama Baru, who have been dismissed without any clear reasons. Security guards at Saphire Square have now been replaced by workers from another outsourcing company.

According to Yanto, the security guards receive an average wage of between 800,000 and 850,000 rupiah a month. Deductions are still made from this minimal wage for uniforms, which are paid off in installments over a period of five months. After being employed for only four months however, the security guards' contracts were terminated.

The security guards had been promised that they would be able to meet with the Saphire management, Primanusa and the Yogyakarta municipal Social Affairs, Labour and Transmigration Agency (Dinsosnakertrans) on Monday September 6. The meeting however was canceled because the Saphire management failed to turn up without giving a reason.

"We are demanding that the Saphire management and PT Primanusa fulfill their responsibilities, namely the payment of the wages we have not received yet in accordance with the law", said Yanto.

As of 11am, the security guards, who are members of the Indonesian Labour Movement Union-Security Employees Union (SPK-PPBI), were still holding the sit-in action. Monitoring the action and remaining on guard at some distance were scores of Yogyakarta municipal police officers.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Left: The leadership of Indonesian Labour Movement Union-Security Employees Union (SPK-PPBI).


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