Workers protest against labor laws<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta\/Bandung\/Semarang<\/p>\n
Thousands of workers from Jakarta, Bandung in West Java, and
\nSemarang in Central Java staged separate, peaceful rallies to
\ncoincide with the new labor bill becoming law on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The protesters said the bill, endorsed by the House of
\nRepresentatives on Feb. 25, would weaken worker's rights because
\nit allowed child labor, did not require employers to provide
\nservice payments for resigning workers or those dismissed for
\ncommitting crimes, and did not allow women time off during
\nmenstruation or following a miscarriage without a doctor's
\nrecommendation.<\/p>\n
During debate on the bill, only seven of 64 labor unions and
\nfederations registered with the Ministry of Manpower and
\nTransmigration were involved.<\/p>\n
\"We were never involved in the deliberation process,\" Bambang
\nEka, chairman of the West Java branch of the Indonesian
\nIndependent Workers Union, said during a rally of hundreds of
\nworkers in Bandung on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Dita Indah Sari, a labor activist from the National Front for
\nthe Struggle of Indonesian Workers (FNPBI), in her speech before
\nabout 2,000 workers rallying in front of the presidential palace
\nin Jakarta, said workers should not comply with the law.<\/p>\n
\"Those accepting the law are those who bow to the regime!
\nThose accepting the law are those who bow to international
\ncapitalists!\" she shouted to cheering workers.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta workers started their long march from the Hotel
\nIndonesia Traffic Circle in Central Jakarta and stopped at the
\nnearby United Nations office on Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. Six
\nrepresentatives were invited in by Alan Boulton, director of the
\nInternational Labor Organization (ILO) for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Saiful Bahri, a labor representative who joined the meeting
\nwith the ILO, told The Jakarta Post the ILO officials said they
\ncould not intervene in the government's decision to sign the bill
\ninto law.<\/p>\n
\"They could understand the law, even though deep inside their
\nhearts they did not fully agree with it,\" he claimed.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, when the protesters continued their march to the
\nState Palace, neither President Megawati, State Secretary Bambang
\nKesowo or any of their representatives welcomed the workers to
\nhear their demands.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, hundreds of workers who rallied in front of the
\nprovincial council compound had a similar experience. After
\nprotesting for about five hours, no legislator showed up to
\nwelcome them.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, about 1,500 workers demonstrating at the
\nprovincial council compound were also ignored.<\/p>\n
However, Dita said the workers' struggle would show results
\nsome day. \"It depends on how much pressure we can apply. Workers
\nhave to build a national movement in order to win the struggle,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Dita, who has fought for workers' rights for more than ten
\nyears, said the labor movement in Indonesia was improving.<\/p>\n
\"Workers do not merely fight for their wages. Now they have
\npolitical awareness too.\"<\/p>\n
Bangun Winarno, a worker for a glassware company in Jakarta,
\nsaid they would continue fighting if the government did not meet
\ntheir demands.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/workers-protest-against-labor-laws-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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