Jesse Jackson meets with local labor activists<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jesse Jackson, a U.S. front liner in the civil
\nrights movement, met with local labor activists yesterday to
\nobtain first-hand information on labor conditions in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Jackson visited the unrecognized Indonesian Prosperous Labor
\nUnion (SBSI) and the only government sanctioned labor union the
\nFederation of All-Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI) headquarters.<\/p>\n
\"If we share some values we will progress together,\" he said
\nin encouragement to some 40 labor activists at the SBSI
\nheadquarters.<\/p>\n
\"The American people are as close to Indonesia through the
\nproducts they purchase,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jackson also urged the Indonesian government to loosen its
\ncontrol over workers' rights to form a union lest the government
\nbe condemned for violating human rights.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia cannot get favored nation status if the military
\ninterferes with civil rights,\" Jackson said.<\/p>\n
According to Muchtar Pakpahan, the SBSI leader, Jackson's
\nmeeting with the union members happened out of his own initiative
\nover his concern about labor conditions in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The international community only recognizes SBSI as a labor
\nunion, partially due to the government's fault in marginalizing
\nus for our principles,\" Muchtar told The Jakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
Muchtar was incarcerated for three years in 1994 after he was
\nconvicted by a lower court of inciting worker riots in Medan,
\nNorth Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Through appeal, the determined leader was sentenced by the
\nMedan High Court to four years but was acquitted of all charges
\nby the Supreme Court in 1995.<\/p>\n
Jackson also met with SPSI officials to get a balanced picture
\nof Indonesian labor issues.<\/p>\n
Idris, an SPSI executive, told the Post there are 12 Nike-
\naffiliated companies in Indonesia that employ some 80,000 workers
\nand which have fulfilled the government's requirement of paying
\nworkers the minimum wage of Rp 5,200 a day.<\/p>\n
Jackson, who arrived here on Friday morning on a fact-finding
\nmission for the Rainbow Coalition which he founded in an
\nunsuccessful run for the U.S. presidency, said his visit is
\nintended to draw attention to the plight of workers who produce
\nshoes and other labor-intensive products for American consumers.<\/p>\n
The luminary arrived from Tokyo, where he campaigned against
\nalleged sexual harassment by Japanese companies in the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Jackson visited two sports shoe factories west of
\nJakarta to investigate charges that workers were underpaid.<\/p>\n
P.T. Tong Yang is an Indonesian-South Korean joint venture and
\nemploys 6,200 workers, mostly women, that produces shoes for the
\nU.S.-based Reebok company.<\/p>\n
Jackson, however, was denied a visit at a Nike-affiliated
\nfactory which has been accused of unfair labor practices,
\nincluding firing workers who attempted to organize a union.<\/p>\n
After a meeting with SPSI, Jackson and his team headed out to
\nhold a prayer vigil at another Nike-affiliated factory in
\nTangerang.<\/p>\n
Separately, Jackson said he will demand Washington makes labor
\nrights a criterion for the granting of Most Favored Nation
\ntrading status.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) meeting here, Jackson said that he will urge U.S.
\nSecretary of State Warren Christopher, who is scheduled to take
\npart in the security-oriented ASEAN Regional Forum tomorrow, to
\nraise the issue of uniform labor standards.<\/p>\n
\"As Mr. Christopher comes here to engage in his dialog, we
\nmust determine that the basis for favored nation status is the
\ncompatibility of values,\" the reverend was quoted by AFP as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
Those rights include a commitment to human rights and labor
\nrights, a concept vehemently opposed by ASEAN, which sees the
\nproposal as a bid to rob developing nations of their competitive
\nadvantage.<\/p>\n
Proponents of such a linkage at the World Trade Organization
\nsay uniform labor standards would prevent advantages gained at
\nthe expense of child and prison laborers, as well as other
\nexploited workers. (31\/14)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jesse-jackson-meets-with-local-labor-activists-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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