Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – Dozens of employees laid off by PT Riau Airlines rallied at the Riau Manpower and Transmigration Agency in Pekanbaru on Tuesday, demanding severance pay, holiday pay and four months' back salary owed to them under a court decision.
Protest coordinator Dody Fernando said that the airline, which was owned by the Riau provincial administration, owed the 116 laid-off employees Rp 8.1 billion ($US891,000).
"We just want our rights. The debt figure is not a fictitious or a one-sided claim. It is based on a recent agreement reached by the Industrial Relations Court," Dody said.
Dody said his colleagues were happy when the Pekanbaru Industrial Relations Court upheld their lawsuit, although their hopes faded as the airline missed a Nov. 30 deadline to pay the employees.
According to Dody, the money owed to the workers included salaries for the period between November 2010 and January 2011. The airline's management has repeatedly promised to fulfill its obligation to the former employees.
"The fact is, however, that our rights have not been met – even though an agreement has been reached in court. We're fed up with all the promises. It's already been one year since payment of our salaries was delayed. There are many former employees whose houses have been repossessed due to their inability to pay their mortgages," he said.
The laid-off employees have rallied several times outside the company's headquarters to no avail, Dody said, and so chose to rally outside the Riau office of the Manpower and Transmigration Agency to ask for immediate government assistance.
After holding a free-speech forum for half an hour, five protesters were received by agency chief HR Lukman Mat for a closed-door dialogue. Following the end of the one-hour meeting, Dody said the results were not as good as the protesters had hoped.
"The aspirations of the former employees have been disclosed to Riau Airlines management. The results are that the company is unable to meet all the obligations to its former employees, including the payment of severance and overdue salaries," Lukman said.
"Therefore, it is up to the former employees as to what to do next. We will just support their decision," Lukman added.
Dody said the laid-off employees would not be discouraged by the meeting and would continue to strive for their rights.
The workers might file a new lawsuit with the Pekanbaru District Court, demanding that the terms of the resolution reached by the Industrial Relations Court be upheld, he said.
"The poor results of today's rally are not satisfying, but it should not necessarily discourage the spirit of our struggle," Dody said.
Meanwhile, a member of the Riau Legislative Council, Tengku Azuwir, expressed concern over the reluctance of Riau Airlines to respond to a recent recommendation from the council on a new injection of Rp 30 billion from the Riau regional budget to help save companies belonging to the provincial administration.
"Instructions for the disbursement of the funds from the budget were clear, namely to cover the severance pay, buy new aircraft and pay debts to third parties," Azuwir said.
Apparently, Azuwir added, Rp 25 billion of the total injection was used to pay third-party debts, leaving nothing left to meet the company's obligation to its former employees.
"We will summon the company's board of directors to ask for their accountability in the spending of the funds. Our next meeting is scheduled on Jan. 10," Azuwir said.