JP\/4\/Editorial<\/p>\n
Lessons from Medan<\/p>\n
If the latest reports from Medan are correct, then the ban on
\nfurther labor protests which the North Sumatra security
\nauthorities issued late last week in the wake of some ugly
\nrioting has been of limited effect at best.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, reports said yesterday evening that far from
\nhaving abated, the demonstrations and rioting by protesting
\nlaborers had spread to nearby towns. At least 29 persons were
\nbeing held by the police for questioning as an estimated 9,000
\nworkers from 22 factories continued their protests.<\/p>\n
As was reported during the weekend, the trouble started on
\nFriday, when about 10,000 workers rallied in Medan to demand that
\nthe government raise the daily minimum wage in the province from
\nthe present Rp 3,100 (US$1.44) to Rp 7,000. The workers also
\ndemanded that the government allow them to set up an independent
\ntrade union and that it investigate the death of a labor activist
\nwhose body was found in the Deli River last month.<\/p>\n
As if this was not enough, reports said the SBSI -- which
\norganized the Medan labor protests although it denies having a
\nhand in the rioting -- was threatening to organize more strikes
\nif the government refuses to raise the minimum wages for workers
\nthroughout the country. Specifically, a SBSI official mentioned
\nLampung, Tangerang and Surabaya as target areas for such actions.<\/p>\n
Two conflicting aspects may be noted with regard to the Medan
\nincidents. First, there is the persistent demand that the
\ngovernment's allow the establishment of a trade union which
\nworkers regard as independent. So far, the authorities have been
\nsteadfast in their refusal to permit no more than one labor
\nunion, the government-sanctioned All Indonesian Workers Union
\n(SPSI).<\/p>\n
The irony of the situation is that it is precisely this policy
\nthat is undermining the credibility of SPSI and making it
\nunacceptable in the eyes of many workers -- not to mention the
\nunion's apparent failure to effectively stand up for the rights
\nof its members. Considering the persistence of such demands and
\nthe effects that a stubborn refusal can have on the country's
\ncherished stability, it may be judicious for the government to
\nallow more leeway for workers by providing them with such
\noptions. Surely, adequate yet acceptable regulations can be
\ndevised if a certain degree of restraint is regarded as still
\nnecessary.<\/p>\n
Of more immediate concern, however, is the second aspect of
\nthe problem, which puts at stake the credibility of SBSI -- the
\nonly currently existing \"independent\" alternative to SPSI -- as
\nan effective and responsible organization. As much as we
\nsympathize with the workers' demands, we do not believe that the
\ncourse the SBSI leaders are taking at present will benefit either
\nthe organization or the workers in general in the longer term.<\/p>\n
A number of points may be raised. First, there is the question
\nof our national security and stability -- exceedingly important
\nmatters which, under the present circumstances, define the
\nboundaries of what is possible in this country. Can the SBSI
\nguarantee that it will be capable of controlling any large
\nprotest movements in such places as Tangerang and Surabaya? The
\nMedan example shows how difficult this can be.<\/p>\n
One more glaring example of how easy it is for demonstrations
\nto get out of the organizers' control is the Malari incident of
\nthe 1970s, when initially orderly student protests against the
\nvisit of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka turned into
\nuncontrolled riots that, in a manner of speaking, almost set
\nJakarta ablaze. Up to this day the question of how that could
\nhave happened is still a subject of speculation. In any case, for
\nthose who were involved in those riots, or witnessed them, surely
\nthe lesson is one that is not easily forgotten.<\/p>\n
Another point worth considering is that a minimum daily wage
\nof Rp 7,000 may not be very realistic and, therefore, difficult
\nto push through at the present stage. As much as we support
\nefforts to improve the lot of our workers, we believe that the
\nrational thing to do is to maintain a proper sense of realism and
\nbalance. After all, whether we like it or not, factories have to
\nstay in business and make sufficient profits before they can
\nimprove their employees' welfare.<\/p>\n
All in all, we think there is a lesson to be learned for both
\nemployers and workers in the Medan incidents. There are, of
\ncourse, miserly employers, and for them it is well to remember
\nthat it does not pay to keep testing their workers' patience. For
\nthe protesting workers, and for the leaders of the SBSI in
\nparticular, it is good to remember that actions, if recklessly
\nchosen, can be counter-productive.<\/p>",
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