Manpower Ministry to Help Workers Affected by Giant Supermarket Closure

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Manpower is preparing several attempts regarding the decision of PT Hero Supermarket Tbk. to close all of its Giant outlets. One of them is by preparing facilities to help thousands of Giant supermarket employees that, reportedly, would be laid off based on the company's decision.

"To join re-skilling training at our vocational training centers (BLK)," said the ministry's secretary general Anwar Sanusi on Friday, May 28.

PT Hero Supermarket Tbk. decided to close all of its Giant outlets as per July this year. Hero Supermarket CEO, Patrik Lindvall, said that the decision was a follow-up of the changes of focus to the company's business strategy.

“Other Giant supermarkets will be closed by the end of July 2021. But the negotiation regarding the potential to change the ownership of a number of Giant outlets to the third party is still ongoing,” Patrik said in an official statement Tuesday, May 25.

The closure reportedly will layoff 3,000 Giant workers. Anwar hoped there would be other better options, such as reducing the working hours or implementing temporary lay-off. "But if eventually this decision must be taken, we want the employees' rights to be paid, such as their severance pay," he said.

According to Anwar, his ministry had invited Giant management and Workers Union for a talk but their sides were still discussing several options internally.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Workers Union Association or ASPEK Indonesia regretted the decision. They hoped that the management would maximize the bipartite mechanism transparently by involving them.

"We hope that the chances to employ Giant workers at other Hero Supermarket business units are still opened," said Aspek Indonesia president, Mirah Sumirat, in Thursday's conference, May 27.

Read: Disney to Lay Off 32,000 Workers Next Year

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