Workers protest ban on headdress<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of Moslem female workers, of an
\nelectronic company, in dispute with their employers over their
\nreligious headdress brought their case to the House of
\nRepresentatives yesterday.<\/p>\n
Saihani, Endang Widuri, Elvi Suryawati and 32 other workers of
\nPT Sanyo Jaya Component Indonesia told legislators from the
\nMoslem-based United Development Party faction that in addition to
\nbeing locked out of the factory, they were also harassed.<\/p>\n
\"The company won't let us work again unless we take off our
\nheaddress,\" Saihani said.<\/p>\n
\"The management isolate us, and prohibit us from working,
\neating and praying with the other workers,\" Saihani said. \"They
\nput us in rooms usually used to keep workers' shoes and bags in,
\nand in other storerooms.\"<\/p>\n
\"The storerooms are hot, dusty and suffocating,\" Elvi said,
\ntearfully.<\/p>\n
The workers charged that the company's management upbraided
\nthem for their decision to wear the head scarves to work, calling
\nthem \"insane\" and pressuring them to take off the headdress.<\/p>\n
\"The management said we are locked out because we violate
\ncompany rules,\" the workers said.<\/p>\n
The workers said they have already lodged their protests with
\nthe local office of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, local unit
\nof the Indonesian Labor Union and the Bogor legislative council,
\nbut so far have not seen any progress in the dispute.<\/p>\n
The company's managers could not be reached for comments
\nyesterday evening.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party faction's leading members Anshary
\nSjams, Bachtiar Chamsyah and Ahmad Muflih Saefuddin promised the
\nyoung workers they would bring their grievances to Commission VI,
\nin charge of manpower and industries. They also took the workers
\nto meet with members of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction.<\/p>\n
Saefuddin went so far as to promise the workers that his
\nfaction would invite both Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief and
\nMinister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher to explain the
\ngovernment's policies about workers displaying religious
\ninsignia.<\/p>\n
\"We believe you, and that your decision to come here is not
\nengineered by external parties, but honestly out of your wish to
\nadhere to your religion,\" Anshary said. \"You shouldn't worry.\"<\/p>\n
\"I'm personally touched by what you are experiencing...the
\nproblem is, there are no national policies for workers who want
\nto wear religious dress to work,\" Saefuddin said.<\/p>\n
\"However, wearing religious headdress is your fundamental
\nright, and the company you work for has violated this right by
\nbarring you from work and for isolating you,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Saefuddin also lashed out at leaders of the Indonesian Council
\nof Ulemas for \"passively\" waiting until disputes over religious
\ninsignias, such as the one the Sanyo workers are experiencing,
\nbecome serious before taking action.<\/p>\n
Saefuddin suggested that the female workers take legal action
\nif they don't see any progress in their problems within the next
\nthree months.<\/p>\n
A source told The Jakarta Post that the workers have already
\ncontacted a lawyer.<\/p>\n
The workers said that when they applied and started working
\nfor the company, they were not wearing the religious headdress.
\nLast July, they requested permission from the local labor union
\nunit to \"apply the Islamic code of dress\".<\/p>\n
After this effort failed, the workers decided to go on with
\ntheir intention and started wearing the headdress. They were then
\nsummoned by the management, told take off the head scarves or
\nresign. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/workers-protest-ban-on-headdress-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}