Government denies troops beat striking workers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government yesterday denied allegations made
\nby the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) that troopers beat
\nstriking workers of a shoe company in Jombang, East Java, last
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief told The Jakarta Post that
\nYLBHI's claim that the strike at CV Maska Perkasa turned violent
\nwas totally unfounded.<\/p>\n
\"We've checked the case with officials in Jombang. No workers
\nwere wounded or hospitalized following the strike as reported by
\nthe press,\" Latief said. Nobody fainted or was injured, he added.<\/p>\n
The claim by YLBHI was first reported by a number of local
\nnewspapers last week.<\/p>\n
The vocal foundation said that one worker was seriously
\ninjured and one women had a miscarriage when troopers clashed
\nwith striking workers inside the Jombang office of the Ministry
\nof Manpower on Oct. 17. In addition, it was reported that 22
\nworkers were knocked unconscious during the clash.<\/p>\n
YLBHI has demanded that the Armed Forces take responsibility
\nfor the incident and punish the soldiers involved.<\/p>\n
According to the foundation, around 2,600 Maska Perkasa
\nworkers defied orders by the military to leave the manpower
\noffice, saying that they were prepared to sit in until their
\ndemands for higher wages, in line with the government's minimum
\nwage regulations, were met by management.<\/p>\n
The workers also held an executive of the management hostage.<\/p>\n
Both ABRI Spokesman Brig. Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo and Chief of
\nEast Java Military Command Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo have denied the
\nallegations that troopers beat workers. Both men said ABRI is now
\nconsidering suing YLBHI and challenging the foundation to prove
\nits allegations in court.<\/p>\n
YLBHI has said that it has the necessary evidence to prove its
\nallegations.<\/p>\n
Latief said that based on the reports he received from his
\noffice in Jombang, several workers fainted during the strike
\nbecause they were tired and hungry.<\/p>\n
He confirmed that police and military officers were present in
\nthe area at the time, but they were there to ensure order and
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
Latief in a ruling issued in January 1994 barred the military
\nfrom intervening in labor disputes.<\/p>\n
Praising the workers for turning to the Manpower Office to
\nseek mediation in their dispute, Latief promised that he would
\npersonally see to it that the conflict is settled peacefully.<\/p>\n
According to the official report, the shoe company is claiming
\nbankruptcy and is planning to retrench its workers.<\/p>\n
Latief, himself a former businessman before becoming a cabinet
\nmember in 1993, said that there are procedures that a company
\nmust observe in dismissing workers. \"Before firing workers, the
\ncompany should secure permission from the Central Board for
\nSettlement of Labor Disputes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister also said the Jombang strike may have been
\nengineered by some \"anti-government\" forces.<\/p>\n
\"Many recent labor strikes in industrial zones in Java,
\nincluding last week's unrest, were masterminded by anti-
\ngovernment groups,\" he said.<\/p>\n
These groups, in cooperation with foreign partners, exposes
\nlabor cases through seminars and other meetings to draw
\ninternational attention on Indonesia, he added. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-denies-troops-beat-striking-workers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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