800 labor disputes reported last year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 800 labor-related cases in Greater
\nJakarta were reported last year, mostly provoked by wage hike
\ndelays, the legal aid association said recently.<\/p>\n
Hendardi, the director of the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nAssociation, said 762 (93 percent) of the 818 cases pertained to
\nthe economic conditions of the workers involved.<\/p>\n
\"500 cases occurred from January to June last year, while the
\nrest took place in the second half of last year,\" Hendardi said.<\/p>\n
Greater Jakarta, including Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, is
\nhome to approximately 65,000 companies.<\/p>\n
In addition to workers' direct complaints, the association
\npicked up labor-related disputes from Jakarta-based newspapers
\nand weekly magazines, like Kompas, Suara Pembaruan, Republika,
\nBerita Yudha, and Pos Kota.<\/p>\n
He said the workers usually raised more than two demands to
\nthe management or the Ministry of Manpower.<\/p>\n
The fact that factory managements were reluctant to follow the
\ngovernment's minimum wage regulations exacerbated the situation.<\/p>\n
Their objections were usually voiced by associations,
\nincluding the Indonesian Shoe Production Association, the
\nIndonesian Meubel Industries Association, the Indonesian
\nManufacturers Association, the Indonesian Wooden Panels
\nAssociation, the Indonesian Toy Production Association and the
\nIndonesian Textile Association.<\/p>\n
He said the associations demanded the ministry postpone wage
\nrises on the grounds that companies were experiencing financial
\ndifficulties in putting it into effect by the April deadline.<\/p>\n
The ministry finally exempted 215 companies from the minimum
\nwage regulation in early June.<\/p>\n
The association also recorded that a tiny number of higher
\nlevel employees were involved in labor disputes.<\/p>\n
\"Employees at higher levels have a poorer awareness of their
\nrights than the lower-ranking workers,\" Hendardi said.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the higher level employees work together
\nwith lower ones to improve the state of the labor force.<\/p>\n
However, he predicted that the number of labor disputes would
\nslightly increase in 1997.<\/p>\n
Demands to set up bargaining power through the labor union,
\nwere also high, Hendardi said.<\/p>\n
He said there were 18 cases regarding workers' demands to set
\nup independent labor unions. (07)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/800-labor-disputes-reported-last-year-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}