PT SAI Apparel Asked Not to Dismiss Workers for Protesting Unpaid Wages

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Agency has spoken up about indications of violations committed by apparel manufacturing company PT SAI Apparel Industries in Grobogan regarding workers’ overtime wages.

Based on the agency’s investigation, the company was confirmed to have committed a violation related to the payment of wages. The investigation was launched after a video of workers protesting over unpaid overtime wages to their employer went viral on social media.

“We conveyed this issue to the company and they willingly pay unpaid wages of the employees within six days since last Friday,” said the Head of the Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Agency, Mumpuniati, on Monday, February 6, 2023.

The company operating in the garment industry and supplying well-known brands, such as H&M, has not paid their employees' overtime wages since October 2022. The Manpower Agency thus ordered a re-calculation of overtime pay.

Mumpuniati also reminded the company not to fire the employee who made the complaints. She appealed to workers having employment issues to file a report to the Central Java Manpower Office. Reports can be filed through the agency’s social media.

A 2-minute video showing workers of PT SAI Apparel Industries arguing with their superiors who were Indian foreign workers about overtime pay went viral on social media. The Manpower Ministry found the company to have committed a violation in the case.

“The foreign workers have apologized and will be summoned by the Grobogan Police. Meanwhile, workers state that they will respect applicable company regulations,” said the Manpower Ministry’s Director General of Labor Inspection and Occupational Health and Safety (Binwasker K3), Haiyani, via the ministry’s official Instagram, on Saturday, February 4, 2023.

JAMAL ABDUN NASHR

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