City-owned bus operator PT Transjakarta has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court after former employee Fery Febriansyah won a case against it at a lower court.

Fery is among four PT Transjakarta ex-workers who filed separate lawsuits with the Industrial Relations Court at the Central Jakarta District Court, with assistance from the Mawar Saron Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Mawar Saron).

"We have lodged an appeal,” said Wibowo, PT Transjakarta spokesman, as quoted by tempo.co on Thursday.

Fery demanded PT Transjakarta pay him Rp 73.5 million (US$5,507) in compensation for firing him as a contract worker.

PT Transjakarta has been in dispute with 13 former employees who had worked for the company as contract workers since 2004, when the company's legal status was that of a special public service (BLU) company.

However, when it officially became an enterprise in 2015, PT Transjakarta reportedly only made those employed that year permanent workers. Thousands of other employees were kept on as contract workers.

Earlier in August, the 13 contract workers filed a lawsuit with the industrial court, demanding to be hired as permanent workers. They also demanded compensation of Rp 580 million. (agn)