Consumer watchdog blasts PLN workers' strike plan
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Consumers Protection Foundation (YLKI) strongly criticized a plan by the labor union of state-owned electricity company PLN to hold a massive strike later this month, saying the move would violate consumer rights to obtain electricity from the monopoly.
"Why go on strike? Not every problem can be resolved by going on strike. We cannot tolerate this attempt to secure their rights by violating the rights of others," Sudaryatmo, a lawyer at YLKI told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
According to Sudaryatmo, a strike is an instrument normally used in industrial relations where employees demand better salary or improved conditions of service.
"Resorting to a strike outside the context of industrial relations is still questionable," he added.
In the case of PLN, the workers are protesting against government policy; that is not an industrial relations matter, he asserted.
Earlier last week, the PLN labor union threatened to hold a strike if the government proceeded with plans to sell the company's core businesses to private investors. The union claimed that the privatization drive would boost electricity prices. However, analysts said that the workers were afraid that the move could lead to layoffs.
The government has instructed PLN to unbundle its power transmission, distribution and power plant units in the main Java-Bali power system into separate entities, which would later on be sold to private investors. The unbundling process should start on Nov. 27, 2003, as stipulated in Electricity Law No. 20/2002. This is an initial step in the liberalization of the country's power sector by 2007.
If the workers' union implements its strike threat it could create chaos, as most Indonesians will still be celebrating the Muslim Idul Fitri holiday on Nov. 27.
The union has said that during the strike workers would not provide services to the public, including responding to calls if there were power disruptions.
But PLN spokesman Muljo Adji said the company would not tolerate any action by workers that could disrupt services to the public.
"The management will discipline workers who go on strike," Muljo asserted.
The management has called on all workers, particularly operators of main relay power stations, to work, even during holidays, Muljo said. He added that during the Idul Fitri holiday, PLN would dispatch some 10,000 operators of main relay stations to make sure consumers had sufficient power supplies.
"The public should not panic: There will be no blackouts during the Idul Fitri holiday," Muljo said.
According to Muljo, PLN's top management was now studying the impact of the unbundling policy.
"Whatever the decision, PLN directors will take into account employee concerns," Muljo said.
Meanwhile, Sudaryatmo suggested PLN workers should take legal action to protest the government's policy instead of going on strike.
"They should adopt a policy advocacy approach, for example by filing for judicial review with the Constitutional Court. That would be a more appropriate course of action," Sudaryatmo said.
Java and Bali are the first to be named as competition areas due to their strong demand, huge population and huge power generation. The two islands' installed capacity accounts for 80 percent, or 18,000 megawatts (MW), of total nationwide installed capacity of 22,000 MW.
At present, PLN has two subsidiaries to manage power plants across the Java-Bali area, which manage 80 percent of power supply in the islands. PT Indonesia Power manages 132 power plants with capacity of around 9,040 MW of the total Java-Bali installed capacity.
The other is PT Pembangkit Jawa Bali (PJB), which operates Muara Karang, Cirata, Gresik, Paiton and Brantas power plants, with a combined capacity of around 4,300 MW.
Analysts have said that, with such a huge market, PLN would attract many foreign investors.