PLN Outsourcing Workers Threaten To Perform National Strikes And Protests Because Payments Of Eid Holiday Allowances Are Not In Accordance With The Regulations

JAKARTA - The State Electricity Company (Persero) or PLN is in conflict with the labor union regarding the payment of the 2021 holiday allowance (THR) to 100 thousand outsourced workers. The Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI) said that this state-owned company did not pay THR in full in accordance with applicable regulations.

KSPI President Said Iqbal said the THR should be paid to PLN outsourcing workers in full amount. In accordance with the circular letter of the Minister of Manpower. However, the THR paid is not full.

"Yesterday's THR, the THR received by PLN outsourcing throughout Indonesia is not in accordance with the regulations, both the Ministerial Circular, both Government Regulation No. 78 of 2015 and regulations that have been in effect for the last 10-15 years", he said at a virtual press conference on Thursday, June 10.

Iqbal said that the THR for outsourcing workers was not paid according to the rules because the performance allowances and delta allowances for the workers before Lebaran 2021 were suddenly changed because of the director's regulation (perdir). Normally, those two perks are fixed allowances.

"The PLN regulation states that the THR received by PLN outsourcing workers is reduced. In what way? Yes, the performance allowance and delta allowance are fixed allowances and are components to be given to PLN outsourcing as non-permanent allowances", he said.

Iqbal said that this sudden regulation by the PLN directors was detrimental to PLN's outsourcing workers throughout Indonesia.

"Suddenly it came out. If we negotiated, if we were told ahead of time, maybe we could understand. Suddenly before Eid, PLN's perdir or board of directors regulations were issued, namely changing the performance allowances and Delta allowances, which were previously fixed allowances, which were taken into account as part of the grant. The THR together with the basic salary is now changed to a non-permanent allowance. So it will not be paid in the 2021 THR", he said.

Furthermore, Iqbal questioned why outsourced workers had to follow PLN's board of directors regulations. According to him, the board of directors has no right to issue the regulation, because outsourced workers are workers from vendors.

"This is like modern slavery, strangely, welfare is not regulated by vendors or outsourcing agents, but instead is regulated by directors. Why do directors issue regulations (for outsourcing)? It's not the employees", he said.

Because of that, said Iqbal, the outsourced workers, supported by members of the KSPI, threatened to go on a national strike in the near future if their rights were not paid properly.

"In the near future, FSPMI (Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Unions) will be instructed and supported by the KSPI to strike a national strike for PLN outsourcing workers throughout Indonesia. The national strike will stop PLN outsourcing workers throughout Indonesia", he said.

On the same occasion, the PLN Labor Union, Abdul Bais, said that related to the problem of the shortage of THR, his advocacy team had carried out an analysis. Until now, he said, there has been no goodwill from this state-owned electricity company.

"For one month, there has been no goodwill from PLN. This shortfall is due to the fixed allowances issued, in total it can reach IDR 1.5 million", he said.

Before that, the workers will conduct demonstrations at PLN's head office in South Jakarta and branch offices in the regions. Then later there will be further actions in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) to pay attention to State-owned companies (BUMN) outsourcing workers, especially PLN and other BUMNs.

"Our action is planned for June 14 at the PLN offices, especially the central and regional offices. This action is in the form of a demonstration, if it is not fulfilled, at the end of June we will conduct a national strike", he said.