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'Our rights are still neglected'
Jakarta Post - May 5, 2003
Leo Wahyudi S. – Thousands of workers staged rallies to mark International Labor Day on May 1 in an attempt to voice their rights, which they said were often overlooked by employers.
The workers also protested the government's stance for not siding with them when it endorsed the new labor bill. Both employers and workers said they realize employee-employer relationships are susceptible to disputes. Some workers and an employer shared the real situation with The Jakarta Post.
Anang, 48, is an employee at a bicycle manufacturer in Tangerang, Banten. He lives in Tangerang with his wife and six children: I joined the rally not only to mark Labor Day but also to express the importance of workers' rights.
This is the only way to get across to the government how workers who earn a low wage have to live, since the government never cares about us. I'll make high-ranking officials see that there are a lot of other workers who are even worse off than me.
I have been working at the company for 12 years, but my life has not improved. How can I lead a decent life if I have to support my family with a salary of just Rp 700,000 a month? I find it difficult just to cover our daily needs with this wage.
That reminds me of the depressing fact that I had to ask my son to quit junior high school last month because I could no longer pay his tuition.
I really wonder why the management does not respect workers who have been with the company for a long time and have a lot of experience to offer it. In terms of salary, there is only a small difference between senior and junior employees.
However, I have no idea of what else I could do. I'm getting older now and there are less options for me. What's worse is the company I'm at has not allowed us to work any overtime for years due to sluggish business. So I have to try hard to earn a little extra from doing side jobs, otherwise my family would die of starvation.
Kasmah, 24, is an employee at a garment company in Cakung, East Jakarta. She lives in Cilincing, North Jakarta with her fellow workers: I am convinced the government neglects low-income earners as the labor bill has been endorsed. That's why we staged the rallies here – to let the government know how hard life is for us. I don't know why the company forces female workers here to work until 9 p.m., and then pays out a low rate for the overtime. We are so tired from working all day long.
It is too bad that the company will not accept any excuse to take time off. Even a doctor's note is not acceptable because the company only takes those that are issued by a hospital. If we get sick and need to go to a hospital, then it is considered a day off and we do not get paid for it. It's unfair and depressing.
It is no use protesting the policy. I believe that the company seriously exploits its workers. Well, in some ways things have gotten somewhat better with the increase in the regional minimum wage. Nevertheless, our rights are still neglected and our aspirations are always overlooked.
M. Nurdin, 39, runs his own business recycling paper. The father of three children works with scavengers from his residence in Srengseng, West Jakarta: I employ several workers and dozens of scavengers who collect used paper. It's not easy managing them, particularly the scavengers since most of them are uneducated. I have to be patient with them, so they can understand the rules of the business.
The most important thing in my line of work is regarding all my employees as fellow humans and not merely workers who we can exploit. I have told my employees many times that they are my partners and they should work professionally.
By taking such a personal approach, I have seen that they can enjoy their job so that it creates a conducive work atmosphere. In this situation, they are given a moral responsibility so that they will have to contribute something to improve the business because they will be the ones to reap the benefits from it.
I do not oppress my employees. I'm flexible in terms of having a personal relationship with them. I usually pay their expenses if they get sick or have some other special occasion. Despite the fact that I work with scavengers, I try to provide them with a minimum wage to instill loyalty in them.
However, I realize that the relationship between workers and employers is prone to disputes and so I try to be flexible with them in many ways.
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