[Kabar-indonesia] NGOs declare support for striking Securicor workers

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

Detik.com - June 16, 2006 
[translation available June 21]

NGOs declare support for striking Securicor workers

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta -- At lease six non-
government organisations (NGOs) have declared their
full support for 259 PT Securicor Indonesia
employees who's future's are now uncertain. This
support is necessary because the employees are
confronting a large foreign owned company.

This was conveyed by the chairperson of the
Securicor Indonesia Trade Union, Dedi F Toisutta, at
Securicor's central office on Jl. Raya Cilandak in
Jakarta on Friday June 16. "We know that we are
opposing a large and strong foreign company.
Therefore we have requested the assistance of
friends (NGOs)", said Toisutta.

A number of organisations have declared their
support for the workers including the Indonesian
Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), the
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Dirgantara
Indonesia, the All Indonesia Trade Union (SPSI) and
a number of other trade union federations.

For five days now, the 259 Securicor employees have
been occupying the Securicor offices. They are
demanding that they be reemployed after one year and
two months of legal uncertainty.

The case began with an international merger between
Group 4 Folck and PT Securicor in Britain on July 3,
2004. Although Securicor Indonesia did not take part
in the merger, the management transferred the
employees to Group 4 Folck.

This was in contravention of Law Number 13/2003 on
Labour. According to regulations, if employees are
transferred, they must first be dismissed and paid
severance pay by the company. The company did not do
this however and instead arbitrarily sacked the
employees.

The employees have even undertaken legal action
though the state courts, department of labour and
the Supreme Court. On May 19, 2006, the Supreme
Court ordered that the company must reemploy the
workers or pay them severance pay.

To date however, Securicor has failed to comply with
the order on the grounds that it cannot possibly
reemploy the workers. Securicor has been working
with other partners but because of a recent strike
by its employees, a number of these decided not to
work with the company any more because they were
suffering financial losses.

The 259 employees plan to occupy the office for the
next three weeks until there are new negotiations
with the management in accordance with their
demands. (umi)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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