60 Thousand Laid-off Workers, Including Sritek Workers Confirmed Not To Get THR

Sritex Employees (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) who is also the President of the Labor Party, Said Iqbal, revealed that currently there is a massive wave of layoffs (PHK). Based on data compiled by the Labor Party and KSPI, it is recorded that at least 60 thousand workers have experienced layoffs from 50 companies. In fact, in the first two months of 2025 alone, the number of workers affected by layoffs continues to increase significantly.

Various factors have led to layoffs, ranging from companies declared bankrupt, efficiency policies and employee reductions, to factory relocations to other countries such as China and Japan.

Data compiled based on reports from the KSPI and Labor Party regions throughout Java, there are 37 companies that have laid off their layoffs without certainty to get their severance pay and THR, including reports from Sritex workers who complained to the KSPI Command Post and the Labor Party in Sukoharjo said that tens of thousands of Sritex workers could certainly not get THR up to D-7 Eid.

So, the government's sweet promise, in this case the Minister of Manpower, who said that he would pay the THR of Sritex workers before D-7, is worthy of being suspected of being a public lie, because it contradicts the complaint report of more than 30 Sritex workers to the KSPI Command Post and the Labor Party which is located in front of the Sritex factory, Sukoharjo, Central Java.

Below are tables of 37 companies that have laid off in January February 2025 with a total of 44,069 workers who were not paid severance pay and their THR by the black entrepreneurs. There are still data from 13 other companies with a total of around 16 thousand workers (January February 2025) being re-verified by the KSPI Command Post and the West Java Workers' Party, Central Java, Banten, East Java, Riau Islands, and North Sumatra. The industrial sector that experienced massive layoffs in the other 13 companies includes the palm oil industry sector, textiles of shoe, electronics, service and trade industries (startup and retail industries such as KFC), and the automotive truck/dump truck industry.

KSPI and the Labor Party questioned where the government and what the government (specifically the Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia) will do) which can be ascertained that the 60 thousand laid-off workers have not been paid the THR up to D-7, including Sritex workers who will not be paid the THR H-7. Why is there a Minister of Manpower?

Below, data is attached to 37 companies out of a total of 50 companies (which are still being verified by KSPI and the Labor Party 13 companies again) with a total of 60 thousand workers being laid off during the period January February 2025. Where it is confirmed that 60 thousand workers are laid off, 90% of which do not receive severance pay and THR to D-7, including Sritex.

In this regard, KSPI and the Labor Party urge the Minister of Manpower to immediately form a layoff Task Force (Satgas) to handle and solve this problem thoroughly. The government should not only focus on the Sritex case, but must also act fairly by handling layoff cases in various other companies.

"The government must not be silent! We demand the Minister of Manpower to immediately form a layoff Task Force to oversee the settlement of this case. Don't just focus on Sritex, but also handle other cases of layoffs as a whole," said Said Iqbal.

"The Minister of Manpower is not only a minister for Sritex workers," he continued.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Orange Posko KSPI-Labor Party, Lukman Hakim, revealed that several former PT Sritex workers who had reported their problems to the Orange Command Post experienced intimidation, including the threat of kidnapping. As a result, they became afraid to return to the Command Post and sign a power of attorney to continue legal advocacy.

Responding to this, Said Iqbal has instructed the Orange KSPI-Labor Party Command Post to explore further the report. He also called on all parties not to intimidate workers who are fighting for their rights. If the threat is true, this is a serious problem that must be addressed by all parties. Said Iqbal also emphasized the importance of the government taking steps as soon as possible so that the Sritex labor case does not drag on.

Furthermore, Said Iqbal highlighted the threats faced by laid-off workers related to the holiday allowance (THR). According to him, many workers who are exposed to layoffs are at risk of not accepting THR, even though the Employment Law clearly regulates that as long as the layoff dispute is still ongoing, companies are obliged to pay wages and other workers' rights, including THR.

"Therefore, we urge the Ministry of Manpower to immediately intervene and ensure that companies with problems fulfill their THR payment obligations to workers who are laid off. THR must be paid no later than D-7 before Eid," he said.