AJI regrets the layoff of 144 workers of 'Berita Kota'

Jakarta chapter of the Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) regretted the mass layoff on 144 workers of a local newspaper Berita Kota and considered that as a portrait of brutality of the industry.

“There is something awkward in the layoff process because it was not initiated by discussion between the management and the workers. This one sided layoff is banned by the 2003 Labor Law,” said AJI Chairman Wahyu Dhyatmika in its press statement received by The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The incident was generated by the acquisition of PT Penamas Pewarta, a company that published Berita Kota, by PT Metrogema Media Nusantara a subsidiary of Kompas Gramedia Group.

According to AJI, there were not enough reasons to do the layoff according to the requirements set by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry or Industrial relation court.

Therefore AJI urged the new management to fulfil the rights of their workers as regulated by the law and asked the Jakarta Manpower Agency to supervise the case.