"While (the employees) are conducting self-isolation, factories are closed, as they unlikely impose the work-from-home policy. They can only allow the workers to work in rotation."
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) President Said Iqbal revealed that the COVID-19 positivity rate from the factory cluster surpassed 10 percent, thereby necessitating several thousand workers to conduct self-isolation without medicines and vitamins.

"While (the employees) are conducting self-isolation, factories are closed, as they unlikely impose the work-from-home policy. They can only allow the workers to work in rotation," he noted in Jakarta on Tuesday.

If several factories are closed and their employees conduct self-isolation, then the production target will decline and numerous workers will be compelled to take unpaid leave, he cautioned.

If the number of COVID-19 cases continue to soar and the cash flows of companies are disrupted, then they will lay off their workers, he stated.

"Many managements of companies have invited labor unions to discuss preparations for the reduction and layoff of workers in stages on grounds of efficiency," he noted.

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Iqbal noted that the workers conducting self-isolation should be given vitamins and medicines for free from the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS), so that they can return to work soon.

In addition, the vaccination program should be accelerated and expanded to cover several workers in order to achieve herd immunity soon.

Iqbal called on the Manpower Ministry to soon issue an emergency COVID-19 regulation to allow workers to work in rotation rather than to work from home, and employers must not slash the salaries of their workers.

As such, massive layoffs could be avoided, he noted.


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Translator: Sugiharto P, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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