State insurance firm sets up labor union<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some 3,000 employees of state-owned insurance
\ncompany PT Jamsostek have quit the civil servants corps (Korpri)
\nand set up an independent labor union to protect their rights.<\/p>\n
Herdy A., elected chairman of the Jamsostek trade union, said
\nWednesday the workers decided to form their own union in a week-
\nlong meeting attended by representatives of the company's 27
\nprovincial offices.<\/p>\n
\"The labor union's establishment is quite strategic to
\nrepresent workers in negotiations with the company management and
\ncounter demonstrations aimed at extorting our company by other
\nlabor unions,\" he said after an induction ceremony of the labor
\nunion's executives here.<\/p>\n
A 1992 law gives the company the monopoly to run the social
\nsecurity program for workers.<\/p>\n
Herdy said that Jamsostek employees should no longer join
\nKorpri because they were not civil servants and the government-
\nbacked organization has done nothing to improve their welfare.<\/p>\n
\"For more than 30 years, employees of state-owned companies
\nhave been used by the ruling Golkar to win general elections. The
\nparty can no longer do it now because the ILO Convention No. 87
\non freedom of association was ratified.<\/p>\n
\"The government can no longer bar state-owned companies from
\nleaving Korpri, quitting Golkar and setting up their own trade
\nunions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Korpri was formed by the government in 1971 to obtain civil
\nservants' support for Golkar.<\/p>\n
Herdy said Jamsostek Labor Union was negotiating with the
\nmanagement on a collective labor agreement. The deal is set to be
\nsigned in September.<\/p>\n
PT Jamsostek is the second state-owned firm to break away from
\nKorpri after timber firm PT Inhutani last year.<\/p>\n
Four independent labor unions -- the Federation of Indonesian
\nIndustrial Trade Unions (Gasbiindo), the Indonesian Muslim Labor
\nUnion (PPMI), the Indonesian Metal Trade Unions (SPMI) and the
\nFederation of Indonesian Independent Labor Unions -- announced on
\nWednesday a plan to declare their merge in a confederation.<\/p>\n
Agoes Sudono, Gasbiindo chairman, said the move was aimed at
\nstrengthening bargaining power of workers grouped in the
\nconfederation.<\/p>\n
\"Up to now, at least 16 labor unions have been set up and this
\nnumber will certainly weaken workers' bargaining power against
\nthe management, unless a confederation is established,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Among the 16 unions are the Federation of All Indonesian
\nWorkers Union (FSPSI), Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI)
\nand the four independent unions.<\/p>\n
In Kediri, East Java, some 2,000 workers of cigarette giant PT
\nGudang Garam were off the job for a second consecutive day on
\nWednesday to press for higher wages.<\/p>\n
The workers demanded a raise in salary because no increase has
\nbeen made since the economic crisis commenced almost two years
\nago.<\/p>\n
Gudang Garam, established in 1971, went public in 1990. Before
\nthe crisis, the clove-flavored cigarettes it produced accounted
\nfor about 49 percent of the Indonesian market.<\/p>\n
The workers dispersed peacefully later in the day. (rms\/nur)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/state-insurance-firm-sets-up-labor-union-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }