| Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia | |
Thousands of workers to hold strikes across Greater Jakarta
Jakarta Post - November 24, 2015
Subianto from the All-Indonesia Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI) said Monday that dozens of workers' unions across the country had agreed to fight against the regulation, which they said was an indication of the government's indifference toward workers.
"We are going all out in the next three-day strike. We will empty the factories including those located in Greater Jakarta," Subianto told reporters during a press conference at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) office in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
Industrial areas in Greater Jakarta – including Jababeka Industrial Zone in Bekasi, West Java, and the Kawasan Berikat Nusantara (KBN) industrial bonded zone in North Jakarta – have been named by workers as gathering points to express their rejection of the newly issued regulation.
In October, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo signed a regulation stipulating measured annual wage increases taking into account the current fiscal year's inflation and gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates.
Reportedly, minimum wages multiplied by the inflation rate would ensure steady purchasing power, while the GDP rate factor would guarantee that increases in overall productivity were appreciated.
The regulation replaced a formula that was based on the basic cost of living (KHL) survey of 84 basic commodities and other daily needs of workers.
The unions have argued that the new formula would not take into account their voice. With the old formula, a tripartite meeting was held annually, consisting of the government, employers and workers. Labor unions are the biggest grassroots power in Indonesia.
"The government no longer listens to its people. We, as the main stakeholder in the wage issue, do not have any say since the regulation was issued," said Ilham Syah from the All-Indonesia United Workers Confederation (KPBI).
Ilham said that with the power of hundreds of thousands of workers, the three-day rally would cripple the capital's economic activity, adding that workers would not hesitate to extend the strike period if the government refused to revise the regulation.
"For example, there are tens of thousands of workers from almost 100 factories in Cakung, East Jakarta, alone. They will empty the factories and march to stage a rally in their area," he vowed.
He said the strike would be held in a peaceful manner and gave his assurances that unions would not force workers to join the strike.
Confederation of Indonesian Workers' Unions (KSPI) chairman Said Iqbal took the opportunity to protest the Jakarta Police's decision to name the union's secretary-general, Muhammad Rusdi, a suspect following an incident during an October rally protesting the regulation.
According to Said, at the Tuesday rallies, workers would also demand that the police discontinue the investigation into his secretary-general, saying he had not committed any violations. "If the case goes on and Rudi is arrested, the strike will keep going for days," he said.
On Oct. 30, 34 workers, including Rusdi, were arrested during a demonstration in front of the State Palace demanding the revision of the regulation. The demonstration turned violent as two activists from the LBH Jakarta suffered serious injuries when police dispersed the protesters.
Later, the police named Rusdi a suspect in the incident and charged him under Article 216 of the Criminal Code, which stipulates that those who disobey orders from officials could face a maximum 10-week jail sentence.
See also:
 |