DAMRI Allegedly Not Paying Salaries To Reduce THR, KSPI Will Hold A National Strike

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Public Company Djawatan Angkoetan Motor Repoeblik Indonesia or Perum DAMRI is suspected of neglecting the rights of its workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This state-owned transportation company is said to have not paid the salaries of its employees either outsourced or permanent. Including not paying the full THR 2021.

The President of the Indonesian Workers' Union (KSPI) Said Iqbal said the conditions experienced by DAMRI workers were a serious problem. He regretted the management's neglect of its workers, even though DAMRI is a state-owned company.

Furthermore, currently DAMRI workers are having difficulty holding bipartite negotiations with management. This is because the head of their trade union has been transferred to the Papua regional office.

"If the management of DAMRI, the directors of DAMRI do not fulfill the rights of workers, including continuing to apply union busting, especially the layoff of Wahyu, the chairman of one of the Labor Unions in Damri, who is now a member of SPDT FSPMI. Then we will also organize a national strike," he said at the conference. press virtually, Wednesday, June 16.

Iqbal said the drivers had their rights castrated by the directors. Meanwhile, the directors actually get hundreds of millions of bonuses or hundreds of millions of bonuses and salaries. Even pensions that are not paid in full for obvious reasons.

Not only a national strike, said Iqbal, his party will also conduct a strike within PT DAMRI. According to Iqbal, if there is no good will, the action will spread, the workers will go on a solidarity strike.

"The steps we have taken are to prepare for a national strike and strike at DAMRI depots throughout Indonesia. We will come to DAMRI depots, DAMRI bus pools, we will come to DAMRI bus shelters to campaign against national strike and strike at BUMN DAMRI," he said.

Iqbal also asked Commission VI and IX of the DPR to immediately summon DAMRI and the Ministry of SOEs to investigate the problems within DAMRI. Including one of them is the payment of wages that are not completed.

"We are going to the DPR to form a Panja or Pansus and of course specifically for DAMRI to be summoned in the form of an RDPU by Commission IX and Commission VI. We have communicated with Commission IX of the DPR," he said.

Not only that, Iqbal also plans to bring the issue of DAMRI workers to the campaign of the International Labor Organization or the ILO. The ILO meeting will take place on 27 June.

Previously, the General Chairperson of the SPDT FSPMI Iswan Abdullah revealed that the DAMRI management to this day has not carried out the law's orders regarding THR. According to him, the amount of THR payments received by workers is far below the applicable regulations, which is Rp. 700,000.

Furthermore, Iswan said that referring to the applicable laws and regulations, the amount of THR received is one time salary. Thus, this DAMRI management action is a violation.

Not only THR, Iswan said DAMRI also has problems because it provides wages to workers with figures below the minimum wage. Therefore, DAMRI was asked to provide a clear example. Because DAMRI is a state-owned company.

"What we ask is perhaps the Minister of BUMN and the government to resolve the neglect of the rights of workers at DAMRI. Where both in Java and in the regions there are pawnshops which apparently have not been paid for 5 to 8 months," he said.