Rev. Jackson's nudging<\/p>\n
This weekend Indonesia was privileged and honored by the short
\nvisit of Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of America's leading civil
\nrights leaders. Although he made some remarks and judgments that
\nmany Indonesians would not necessarily agree with, some of his
\nassertions are worth considering.<\/p>\n
The main purpose of his visit was to observe working
\nconditions in Indonesia and to check if they meet international
\nstandards. He visited a local factory producing Reebok shoes but
\nwas denied a visit to a local Nike plant, another major producer
\nof American sporting goods and shoes. He met with leaders of the
\nFSPSI, the government-sponsored labor union, as well as the
\nunrecognized SBSI trade union.<\/p>\n
He showed the extent of his concern by meeting with Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, the embattled leader of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty, to talk about the elections and the civil rights movement
\nin Indonesia.<\/p>\n
But perhaps the most contentious point raised during his stay
\nwas his insistence on trade being tied to labor rights and human
\nrights. According to Jackson, trade privileges accorded to
\ndeveloping countries by the U.S. government should be conditional
\nupon the respect of these rights.<\/p>\n
The suggestion has already been rejected by the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose foreign ministers are
\ncurrently meeting in Jakarta. The battle over the \"social clause\"
\nis also being waged through the World Trade Organization where
\ndeveloped countries are pushing to establish such links.<\/p>\n
Rev. Jackson's motive may have been political as his trip here
\nwas sponsored by the Rainbow Coalition, a U.S. group concerned
\nabout American jobs being lost to Asian workers. But his point
\ncarried moral overtones as well. The choice, he said, is not
\nbetween having jobs with low pay and not having jobs at all, as
\nmany people in this part of the world often argue. \"One should
\nnever have to trade off work and dignity. In slavery, everyone
\nhad a job but no dignity,\" was one of the most memorable remarks
\nhe made here, as quoted in the press.<\/p>\n
While his allegations that Reebok and Nike shoes are being
\nproduced in sweat shops here and other countries in the region
\nmay not have been entirely convincing, they were punctuated by
\nthe opening of the summer Olympic Games, which coincided with his
\nvisit.<\/p>\n
It is not immediately clear how much fact finding he carried
\nout during his brief stay or if he collected enough information
\nto make a sound judgment. From just a brief look at Indonesia,
\none can be forgiven for assuming that workers here are severely
\nunderpaid.<\/p>\n
But if Rev. Jackson had looked at the past few years he would
\nhave seen remarkable progress. This is especially true with
\nregard to minimum wages throughout the country, which have been
\nincreased almost to the point of Indonesia pricing itself out of
\ncompetition. It is true that the Rp 5,200 (US$2.30) daily minimum
\nwage for workers in Jakarta pales compared with even the hourly
\nminimum wage set in the U.S., but one should not judge by the
\nstandards of America where the cost of living is substantially
\nhigher. Progress was also made when the government revoked its
\ndecree empowering the military to quell worker strikes.<\/p>\n
But then again, there is plenty of room for improvement on the
\nlabor front, including the current trade union law which critics
\nclaim to be a violation of the Constitution's guarantee of
\nfreedom of association. Here, and in other areas where
\nimprovements need to be made, is where Rev. Jackson's voice
\nreally matters and should be listened to.<\/p>\n
None of the problems he raised are new, and some have already
\nbeen debated here. Still, a little reminder and small nudge from
\na moral voice and a man of Rev. Jackson's stature wouldn't hurt,
\nespecially if that is what it takes to bring about change in this
\ncountry.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rev-jacksons-nudging-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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