Workers Demand THR 2020 Payment, Conglomerate Anthony Salim's Indomaret Claims Never Arrears

Indomaret outlets. (Photo: Doc. Soekarno Hatta Airport)

JAKARTA - PT Indomarco Prismatama (Indomaret) claims that it has never been in arrears in the payment of employee holiday allowances (THR) during its 30 years of operation. PT Indomarco Prismatama Marketing Director, Wiwiek Yusuf, denied the workers' accusations that the 2020 THR had not been fully paid.

"For more than 30 years, Indomaret management has never been in arrears in giving THR to employees. Their rights are given in accordance with government regulations," he said in a written statement, quoted on Wednesday, May 19.

According to him, all obligations have been paid by the company owned by conglomerate Anthony Salim in accordance with the provisions of the Minister of Manpower Number 6 of 2016, which requires that the allowance be paid as much as one salary and has been paid two weeks before Idul Fitri. All employees have got their rights without exception.

"Including the 2020's THR, the amount and time it has been given are in accordance with the Minister of Manpower Regulation No. 6/2016," he explained.

Regarding the vandalism due to demonstrations that refused to delay the payment of THR, said Wiwiek, it had been fully handed over to the authorities.

Therefore, Wiwiek said that all employees were also encouraged to return to normal work in order to restore the economic conditions that were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company, said Wiwiek, will certainly continue to serve its needs well.

"As part of the community, Indomaret continues to serve the community's needs as best as possible," he said.

Previously, FSPMI President Riden Hatam Aziz said the problems that occurred between Anwar Bessy and Indomaret workers began with protests by workers regarding the 2020 THR. He said, PT Indomarco Prismatama only paid THR 50 percent from previous years.

"Since many years ago, workers who have worked for 7 years get THR of 2 times a month's wages. But in 2020, workers only get THR of 1 time a month's wages. In other words, the THR is only half," he said.

According to Riden, what has become the custom for THR payments has become normative. In other words, management must keep paying like the previous year. The management stated that they had paid 100 percent, in fact, they paid 50 percent of the previous THR.

"There are tens of thousands of Indomaret outlets throughout Indonesia that remain open during the pandemic. So that workers think that the company is not experiencing a loss. Therefore, they protested when the 2020 THR was reduced compared to previous years," he said.

The company's new policy of reducing THR payments from the previous year sparked protests from workers, and it was recently discovered that gypsum walls had been damaged. Based on the confession of Anwar Bessy alias Ambon, this happened accidentally.

Riden said that FSPMI regretted the company's impression of insisting on imprisoning Anwar Bessy. Even though this problem should be discussed carefully.

"This case should not be brought to court. Because the criminal trial is the last resort. Based on Supreme Court regulation Number 2 of 2012 concerning the settlement of minor criminal offenses and the number of fines in the Criminal Code, settlement is encouraged through compensation, instead of a judicial process," he said.

Furthermore, Riden suspects that this conviction is a form of intrigue by the company not to pay the workers' THR as usual by taking advantage of the reasons for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Omnibus Law. Workers believe that PT Indomarco Prismatama is a franchise company that has no impact due to the pandemic.

"For this reason, several Indomarco workers' unions in various areas such as Jakarta, Tangerang, and Bogor are currently pursuing legal proceedings through the Industrial Relations Court (PHI) so that the company will pay the THR as usual," he said.

Therefore, FSPMI plans to boycott by not shopping at Indomaret. This is a form of support for a worker named Anwar Bessy who was convicted by PT Indomarco Prismatama for destroying gypsum during a demonstration related to the 2020 holiday allowance (THR).