REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- About 300 employees of Merpati Nusantara Airlines staged a rally outside the State Enterprises Ministry on Tuesday demanding the payment of pending eight-month salary to 1,400 employees of the cash-strapped carrier.
"For the last eight months, salaries, allowances, and Idul Fitri allowances for 1,400 employees have not been paid. We have gathered to meet officials of the State Enterprises Ministry and discuss the issues facing us," chief of the Merpati labor union Purwanto said here on Tuesday.
Purwanto, who is also the rally's coordinator, said the employees included pilots, technicians, flight operation officers, financial administration officers, and commercial officers.
"The demand for salary settlement had been filed for quite a long time, but we have received no response. We are very disappointed because the Merpati shareholders have no sense of humanity and have allowed us to starve and face difficulties in financing our families," he noted.
On the contrary, the shareholders had offered various options, including lay-offs, reduction of employees, and closure of Merpati, he said.
Merpati had suspended all flight routes in early February, as it could not afford to bear operating costs.
The airline company, which was established in September 6, 1962, is heavily in debt, although the government had on several occasions injected funds as part of its restructuring efforts.
Merpati's debts have currently reached Rp7.9 trillion.
The airline company will soon submit a proposal to the commercial court for deferred repayment of its debts totaling Rp2 trillion to about 100 private and individual creditors.
"The proposal will be submitted this week as part of measures to rescue Merpati," State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said after receiving Merpati president director, Asep Ekanugraha, and his predecessor Rudy here on Monday.
By deferring the repayment of its debts, Merpati could hopefully describe the settlement of its debts in detail, he said.
Merpati could also come up with a rescue plan to submit to the government, including restructuring of its debts, quasi reorganization, and joint operation cooperation, he added.
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