Over 270,000 work hours lost in strikes this year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A total of 270,305 working hours from January to
\nJune were lost due to strikes this year, a union representative
\nsaid yesterday.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Jakarta office of the All-Indonesia
\nWorkers Union, Fauzi Ibrahim, said 57 strikes were staged by
\nworkers throughout Jakarta during the six-month period.<\/p>\n
\"It tends to increase every month,\" said Fauzi, who is also a
\ncouncilor from the Golkar faction.<\/p>\n
He said that 15,589 workers were involved in the strikes.<\/p>\n
In January there were seven strikes which involved 1,996
\nworkers. In February one strike involved 175 workers, four
\noccurred in March with 12,922 workers, nine in April with 3,951
\nworkers, 28 in May with 8,175 workers and eight in June, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The strikes caused losses, not only to the companies and the
\ncountry but also to the workers, as thousands of productive hours
\nwere wasted,\" Fauzi said.<\/p>\n
Fauzi said most strikes were caused by wage disagreements. He
\nurged the companies to pay the workers according to minimum wage
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
He said strikes need not happen if the companies agree to pay
\nthe workers in line with the government-set minimum wages and
\nprovide various welfare plans.<\/p>\n
He also said better treatment could help prevent labor unrest.<\/p>\n
\"Poor treatment could easily lead the workers to take part in
\nriots such as the recent one,\" he said.<\/p>\n
No workers were involved in the riot, he said, but the
\ngovernment and company managements should work together to
\nprevent such an incident.<\/p>\n
He said there are five million workers in Jakarta working in
\n22,900 companies. However, only 221,000 are union members.<\/p>\n
In January the government announced the minimum wages that
\nwere to take effect in April. In Jakarta the wage level increased
\nfrom Rp 4,600 (US$2.00) to Rp 5,200 per day.
\n i The administration also issued provincial decree No.7\/1989,
\nwhich requires companies to provide various welfare facilities
\nand allowances for their workers.<\/p>\n
The decree stipulates that companies are obliged to provide
\nworkers with medical services, religious centers and
\nuniforms.<\/p>\n
Other facilities that are meant to be provided are cafeterias,
\nrecreation and sports centers, transportation, housing,
\ndormitories and child care centers.<\/p>\n
Insurance, cooperatives, and basic education for children are
\nalso obligatory under the rule.<\/p>\n
However, none of the companies in Jakarta have fulfilled all
\nof the obligations, Fauzi said, confirming recent observations
\nmade by the council's commission for people's welfare. (yns)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/over-270000-work-hours-lost-in-strikes-this-year-1447893297",
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