Region

Zero-tolerance for sexual harassment, asserts Minister

JAKARTA: Sexual harassment culprits will not be tolerated in government entities, State-owned Enterprises minister Erick Thohir said.

He asserted a zero-tolerance approach will be applied to perpetrators, reported the Antara news agency.

Erick said this in condemning the recent acts of sexual harassment committed by a cleaning service staff against a railway passenger at Ciamis Station, West Java.

"The state-owned enterprises ministry and state companies are committed to not tolerating perpetrators of sexual violence," he stressed recently.

Erick gave his backing to state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia in its decision to promptly sack the cleaning service staff, employed by company subsidiary PT KAI Services, after being proven to have committed sexual harassment.

He lauded the victim in reporting the despicable act by the culprit and encouraged other passengers experiencing or witnessing similar incidents to report to the authority.

"Thank you for your courageous act that is inspiring a lot of people. I have also instructed PT KAI to provide assistance to the victim," Erick said.

He instructed the railway company to include the personal identification number of the perpetrator of sexual harassment into the company's blacklist that will restrict the sacked staff from using railway services in future.

The action against the perpetrator reflected the commitment of state-owned companies to ensuring a work and service environment that is free of sexual harassment.

State-owned companies are expected to develop a healthy work environment and it needs to be extended to areas of public services, he said.

In April, the ministry had issued a circular instructing mutual respect to be ensured in state companies as a concrete measure to provide a work environment free from discrimination, restriction, harassment, bullying, and any other forms of violence to uphold the dignity of every individual and bolster employees' productivity.

Most Popular
Related Article
Says Stories