What if your father lost his job not because of incompetence, but because of someone else's greed? What if your mother wept at night, not from illness, but from unpaid wages? Behind every corporate scandal lies not just numbers, but broken families, crushed hopes, and lives thrown into chaos. Warm regards, we, Johana Sophia Prayoga (XI-2), Fritz Mayer Raphael (XI-2), Muhammad Farel Al Fawwaz Zam Zam (XI-4), Zahra (XI-1), Alif Fachrizal Aji Pratama (XI-2), Irvin Livingstone Siahaan (XI-4), are 11th grade students from SMA Pradita Dirgantara. This writing is a personal reflection of the Sritex case, as part of our Civics assignment.
Sritex was once a giant in Southeast Asia's textile industry, known for its high-quality military uniforms and global exports. With tens of thousands of employees, the company became the economic heartbeat of Sukoharjo. Surrounding the factory, countless small traders, food vendors, and transport services thrived on the daily flow of workers. Entire families depended on Sritex for their livelihoods. For years, the company was a source of pride, not just for the region, but for Indonesia as a symbol of industrial success and resilience. At some point, Sritex found itself entangled in massive debts, struggling to pay suppliers, banks, and even its workers. Once a thriving empire, the company began to crumble under financial pressure. Rumors of mismanagement and unpaid salaries spread, leaving employees and the local community in deep uncertainty and fear.
Ribuan karyawan Sritex menggelar Istigasah di Lapangan Sandang Sejahtera Sritex, Sukoharjo (Foto dokumentasi SRIL)
When a Corporation Collapses, Who Bears the Pain?
What would you do if the decisions of corporate elites destroyed the lives of thousands of families? The Sritex case is not merely a story about corruption or the bankruptcy of a textile giant. It is a tragic tale of betrayed trust, stolen dreams, and a moral dilemma that shakes our sense of social justice. While the company leaders chose to save personal assets and enrich themselves with state credit funds, more than 10,000 employees had to swallow a bitter reality: job loss, no certainty of severance pay, and a future that suddenly went dark.
The Irony of Law and Ethics
Legally, the bankruptcy process indeed hands over the responsibility of severance payment to a curator. But ethically, can someone who has enjoyed the profits from the hard work of thousands of laborers for years simply say, "That's no longer my responsibility"?
This is the most painful moral dilemma. Iwan Setiawan Lukminto and Iwan Kurniawan Lukminto, two key figures behind Southeast Asia's largest textile company, chose to hide behind legal and administrative processes to escape their responsibility toward thousands of workers. In fact, the luxury and power they now possess are the result of relentless labor by their employees.
The Price of Greed
When a credit loan worth Rp692 billion, meant for working capital, was instead used to buy land and settle personal debts, we are forced to ask a fundamental question: how high is the price of greed? The state suffered a loss of nearly Rp700 billion. But the greater loss is social, children dropping out of school because their parents were laid off, families struggling without income, and a generation of workers who feel unappreciated. This is not only a legal violation but a violation of conscience and humanity.