'Workplace discrimination up in RI'<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
An increasing amount of workplace discrimination in Indonesia,
\nwith gender discrimination topping the list, has at least one
\ninternational organization very concerned.<\/p>\n
The International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a statement
\nthat based on data from the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) office,
\naverage female income was only 68 percent of average male
\nsalaries.<\/p>\n
Similar discrimination also occurred for white collar workers,
\nas female university graduates received 25 percent less than
\ntheir male counterparts, it said.<\/p>\n
Women also had less authority than men in the private sector.
\nIn 2000, for example, a number of women in positions of senior
\nmanagement was far below men.<\/p>\n
Besides gender discrimination at work, discrimination based on
\nage and other factors was also seen as increasing, according to
\nILO.<\/p>\n
Citing a manpower survey in 2001, ILO said people in the age
\ngroup between 15 and 29 years old worked 46 hours per week with
\nan average salary of Rp 385,000 (US$43) per month, while people
\nof 40 to 54 years old worked only 42 hours per week with an
\naverage salary of Rp 682,000 monthly.<\/p>\n
Other discrimination against people of different races, people
\nliving with HIV\/AIDS, the disabled and people from different
\nreligions was also prevalent, it said.<\/p>\n
The statement was released after ILO published its global
\nreport on workplace discrimination earlier last week.<\/p>\n
Dita Indah Sari, Chairman of the National Front for the
\nIndonesian Workers' Struggle (FNPBI) agreed with ILO.<\/p>\n
She said such discrimination occurred due to poor
\nimplementation of labor rulings and weak labor unions in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
"Women are still the main victim of discrimination at work,
\nwhich is not only about salary, but also treatment," she told the
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
"But we must also raise our concern on the wide salary gap
\nbetween the lowest and highest employees."<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, she said, the salary gap between the lowest and
\nhighest workers could reach 1:150, while in Malaysia the gap is
\nonly 1:28 and 1:9 in Japan.<\/p>\n
"This is part of injustice because everyone needs and uses the
\nsame amount of food per day, but how come the salary gap is so
\nwide," she said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Dita said, there was no other way to resolve the
\nproblem but empowering the country's labor unions to fight for
\nworkers rights.<\/p>\n
"We already have the laws and regulations that prohibit
\ndiscrimination at work, but the implementation is poor. So we
\nmust build a strong labor union to push companies to abide by the
\nlaws," she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/workplace-discrimination-up-in-ri-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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