The Department of Industry and Trade (Disperindag) of West Java (Jabar) found that there were discrepancies in the data on Termination of Employment (PHK) in the industry, especially in Textiles and Textile Products (TPT). This difference in data occurs between Apindo and the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office (Disnakertrans). This has been confirmed by the West Java Head of Industry and Trade, Iendra Sofyan, based on direct confirmation from two parties. "There is indeed a data dispute between Apindo and the Manpower and Transmigration Office," said Iendra, Saturday (12/11/2022).
- TPT is affected by global marketing
Even so, Iendra said, from the Disperindag investigation, the textile industry is currently experiencing the impact of sluggish global trade conditions. As for the conditions, demand from abroad continues to decline, while 90 percent of West Java's TPT production is directed at foreign markets.
"The impact is reduced production, there are layoffs for efficiency. But for labor matters, this is the domain of the Manpower and Transmigration Office," he said.
West Java's export performance from the first to the third quarter of 2022 is still running smoothly. Currently, the textile sector is no longer the main support. Meanwhile, regarding the issue of textile products, the import of used clothes has been disturbed by Iendra's objection.
"For the production of imported used clothes, the impact is not too big," he said
- Apindo says 73 thousand employees have been laid off
How are the data on PHK Apindo and Disnakertrans different? Illustration of Unemployment due to layoffs (IDN Times/Arief Rahmat)
To note, the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) recorded that 73 thousand employees were laid off from January to mid-October 2022. This data does not include figures from companies that are not members of Apindo.
BPJS itself has recorded hundreds of thousands of workers who have filed Old Age Security (JHT) claims. While JHT 100 percent is for employees who have resigned or have been laid off.
The number of layoffs is also feared to continue to rise, due to a reduction in orders for textiles, garments, and shoes next year. Thus, the entrepreneurs also mentioned the fear of an increase in the Wage Structure and Scale (SUSU), which last year was determined by the government and burdened the entrepreneurs.
"I believe that the investment situation and the business world are not going well, orders will suddenly decrease by 50 percent next year for the shoe and garment sector, so the battle for life and death is serious," said the chairman of Apindo Jabar, Ning Wahyu Astutik in a meeting with entrepreneurs in Bandung, Thursday (27/10/2022).
- The West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office said the layoff data was only 4,800 employees
Why are Apindo and Disnakertrans data on layoffs different? Illustration (IDN Times/Arief Rahmat)
The West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office (Disnakertrans) said the number of layoffs in its area was 4,800 employees. This number is calculated from January to November 2022.
"If what we have, the inkrah data (definitely) that has been laid off is only 4,800 people. Then the big ones have expired contracts and that's not all, most of them have been extended again," said Head of the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Office, Rachmat Taufik Garsadi, Wednesday (9/11). /2022).
Furthermore, Rachmat Taufik said that there were quite a number of employees whose contracts had expired and were extended. However, only 4,800 permanent employees have been laid off.
"There are more than 100 thousand people who have finished their contracts so they take Old Age Security (JHT) from BPJS and then their contracts are extended again," said Rachmat.
- Workers suspect that the issue of layoffs was disclosed in order to suppress the 2023 UMP-UMK
Why are Apindo and Disnakertrans data on layoffs different? IDN Times/Debbie Sutrisno
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the West Java Confederation of All-Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI) DPD, Roy Jinto Ferianto, argued that everything employers disclosed to the public about layoffs was an issue that could potentially urge the government not to increase labor wages in 2023.
"This is deliberately being voiced by (entrepreneurs) and conveyed to the media because this is ahead of the determination of the minimum wage in 2023. The UMP will be set on November 21 and the UMK will be set for November 30, 2022," Roy said when contacted, Wednesday (9/11/2022).
In fact, Roy said, this incident has often happened over the past few years. The issue of layoffs and the closing of many companies is believed to be a way for entrepreneurs to pressure the government not to increase the wages of the working class.
"This news not only happened recently, but every year before the determination of the minimum wage there is always news that says there will be layoffs and others," he said.
