Apindo alarmed by violent strikes

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) expressed deep concern on Wednesday over the increasing wave of violent labor strikes, which it said had affected the business climate in the country.

Willy H. Rawung, Apindo's deputy treasurer, said numerous foreign investors had postponed investing in Indonesia because of violent labor strikes and the absence of legal certainty.

"A number of investors from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea have postponed entering Indonesia because of the anarchistic labor strikes and weak law enforcement," he told journalists here on Friday.

He cited as examples the recent burning of a factory in Tangerang, violent labor strikes at the House of Representatives and the beating of a businessman in Surabaya, East Java.

Rawung criticized the government for failing to enforce the law, to promote industrial relations and provide security guarantees for employers.

"Most employers have no objection to labor strikes provided they are in accordance with legal procedures," he said.

He said the government should take measures against employers violating the law as well as against violent labor rallies.

He regretted that in the past seven months of being the manpower minister, Bomer Pasaribu had yet to make any progress in solving labor disputes and promoting better industrial relations.

Rawung, who will represent Apindo at the June 14 International Labor Conference in Geneva, said the poor situation in Indonesia would not support a speech at the meeting by President Abdurrahman Wahid promoting investment in Indonesia.

"Despite a good presidential speech at the meeting, the international community will not believe in the government's commitment to legal certainty in Indonesia. The President's speech will be just rhetoric," he said. (rms)