Fajarasia.co – Dozens of former Merpati pilots came to complain at the DPR RI People’s Representative Building, Senayan, Jakarta. They demanded their basic rights which the state-owned company never paid for.
It is known that until now, PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines has stopped operating since 2014, reportedly still in arrears in severance payments for 1,233 former pilots and their employees with a total value of Rp312 billion.
Member of Commission VI DPR present Herman Khaeron received a letter of request for RDPU to Commission VI DPR and listened to the reading of an open summons to the Ministry of SOEs so that their rights, especially severance pay, were immediately paid.
“We in the DPR have repeatedly voiced that we must immediately settle obligations to employees, whether administrative, technical or pilot employees, because this is the main obligation that must be paid,” Herman said in a public discussion entitled ‘The Tragic Upcoming of the Ex-Pilot Merpati Who Wasn’t Visit After’ at Media Center, Jakarta, Monday (30/5)
Herman asked the Ministry of SOEs not to avoid the issue of the former Merpati pilot, which has not yet been resolved. According to Herman, SOE Minister Erick Thohir should resolve this priority issue.
“The sin is very big, dzolim, hopefully the sin will not spread to members of the DPR,” said Herman.
Representative of the former Merpati Pilot Muhammad Masikoer revealed that the former Merpati Pilot did not expect funds from outside, but demanded their basic rights.
“What we expect is my own money, our own money, we have our own salary, we collect the severance pay ourselves, we collect the pension funds ourselves from pieces,” Masikoer explained.
“So if you say, THR must be paid, sir, we didn’t even expect that, THR is not paid, it’s okay, but my money that I collected from, I’m sorry I entered the year 74 as a student pilot, I retired in 2019 So the period was about 45 years when I was in Merpati,” said Masikoer.
In fact, after the Asset Management Company (PPA) also did not provide a solution, they even seemed to throw themselves away when they sued for the Suspension of Debt Payment Obligations (PKPU). With the disbandment of Merpati, the former pilot did not get anything.
Demands for rights have been carried out at the Palace, KSP, Komnas HAM, KPK to the DPR, but until now there has been no clear point on their rights.
“Where else are you going, I don’t know, if you want to tell me it doesn’t feel good. So we ask the DPR for help on how to find the best solution,” said Masikoer.
Not a few former Merpati Pilots who are seriously ill and aging due to only relying on severance pay. Until now, the Government has not yet provided a solution for the thousands of employees who have not received severance pay.
Previously, on September 30, 2021, Erick Thohir assessed that there was no bankruptcy experienced by PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Persero). The main reason is that shareholders will liquidate the state-owned airline, because it has not operated since 2008.
According to him, companies that have not operated for a long time must have their problems resolved. Regarding employee severance pay and Merpati’s assets, PT Danareksa (Persero) and PT Perusahaan Pengelola Asset (Persero) or PPA have also handled it.
Pension funds that have been closed have prevented former employees from receiving their pensions, even though during their work their salaries have been deducted for pensions.
The pigeon pension fund has been closed since January 2015, but even ex-employees who have retired since 2013 do not receive their pension.****
