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
Reports reaching Jakarta Tuesday evening lead us to believe
\nthat far from having abated, the demonstrations and rioting by
\nlaborers had spread to the city's fringes along the roads leading
\ntowards Binjai and Tanjung Morawa. By mid-Monday at least 29
\npersons were being held by the police for questioning.<\/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, or more than twice as
\nmuch. The workers also demanded that the government recognize the
\nexistence of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI).<\/p>\n
Further reports on Tuesday said the SBSI was threatening to
\norganize more strikes if the government refuses to raise the
\nminimum wages for workers throughout the country. Specifically, a
\nSBSI official mentioned Lampung, Tangerang and Surabaya as target
\nareas for such actions.<\/p>\n
Two conflicting aspects may be noted as we endeavor to view
\nthe Medan incident in a proper perspective. First, there is the
\npersistent demand for the government's recognition of SBSI. So
\nfar, the authorities have been steadfast in their refusal to
\npermit no more than one labor union, the government-sanctioned
\nAll-Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI). The irony of the situation is
\nthat it is precisely this policy that has undermined the
\ncredibility of SPSI in the eyes of many, not to mention the
\nunion's apparent failure to effectively stand up for the rights
\nof its members, if persisting labor protests here and there are a
\nreliable yardstick.<\/p>\n
Considered from this point of view, it may be judicious for
\nthe government to allow more leeway for workers by providing them
\nwith options. Surely, adequate, yet acceptable, regulations can
\nbe devised if a certain degree of restraint is still regarded as
\nnecessary.<\/p>\n
Here, however, we come to the second aspect of the problem. We
\ndo not believe the course the SBSI leaders are now apparently
\ntaking will in the end benefit either the organization or the
\nworkers in general. A number of points may be raised. First,
\nthere is the exceedingly important question of national security
\nand stability. Can the SBSI guarantee that it will be capable of
\ncontrolling any large protest movements in such places as
\nTangerang and Surabaya?<\/p>\n
One glaring example of how easy it is for demonstrations to
\nget out of the control of the organizers are the Malari riots of
\nthe 1970s, when student protests against the visit of Japanese
\nprime minister Kakuei Tanaka turned into uncontrolled riots that
\nin a manner of speaking almost set Jakarta ablaze. For those who
\nwere involved in those riots, or for those who witnessed them,
\nsurely the lesson is one that is not easily forgotten.<\/p>\n
A second point worth considering may be that a minimum daily
\nwage of Rp 7,000 may not be very realistic and therefore
\ndifficult to push through at the present stage. As much as we
\nsupport any efforts to improve the lot of our workers, we believe
\nthe rational thing to do is to maintain a proper sense of
\nrealism. The reason is that, whether we like it or not, factories
\nhave to stay in business and make sufficient profits before they
\ncan improve their employees' salaries.<\/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 miserly
\nemployers, and for those it is well to remember that there is a
\nlimit to the patience of workers. For the protesting workers and
\nthe SBSI in particular, it is good to remember that actions, if
\nrecklessly chosen, can be counter-productive.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lessons-from-medan-1447898607",
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