Contacting unions by phone no easy task<\/p>\n
Hera Diani and I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Who would have thought that finding the details about local labor
\nunions could be such a headache?<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration is kind enough to
\nput the list of 40 unions, complete with their addresses, on its
\nwebsite: www.nakertrans.go.id. While the UN's International Labor
\nOrganization (ILO) Jakarta office puts out a list of 63 trade
\nunions at www.ilo.org.<\/p>\n
The list on both websites have the names of the chairpersons,
\nfull addresses and telephone numbers.<\/p>\n
But the effort to find more detail was extremely difficult
\nfrom the office.<\/p>\n
"The numbers you are calling have not been installed yet," was
\noften encountered while calling some 30 unions.<\/p>\n
Three other calls received the "the phone has been
\ndisconnected", which usually was the phone company's polite way
\nof implying that the customer had not paid its bill.<\/p>\n
Two calls were left unanswered after ringing for an eternity,
\nand another two were answered by that high-pitched irritating
\ntone of a fax machine.<\/p>\n
At other times (five to be exact), a slam on the end other
\nline was heard, with individuals telling us we had the wrong
\nnumber. Two others informed us that the offices had moved.<\/p>\n
In the end, ten successful calls were made to offices of
\nlegitimate unions, and were answered by actual labor union
\npersonnel, but even then the struggle continued.<\/p>\n
If you think calling big unions is easy, try the office of the
\nIndonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) led by noted activist
\nMuchtar Pakpahan.<\/p>\n
"Good afternoon, post office..... No, this is not SBSI. It is
\nthe post office on Jl. Pemuda," a woman said.<\/p>\n
Try to call the second number of the SBSI office, and you will
\nonly get a recording: "The number you have dialed can not be
\nreached at this time."<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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