Govt, trade union denounce ILO report

Govt, trade union denounce ILO report

JAKARTA (JP): The government and the official labor union
FSPSI denounced yesterday the International Labor Organization
(ILO) for suggesting the country has not made any progress on the
question of workers' rights.

The Geneva-based ILO announced Thursday there had been no
improvement in this arena and called for the release of locked-up
union leaders, AFP reported.

Trade union groups have accused the Indonesian government of
interfering in union affairs, denying union recognition, and
detaining and harassing trade unionists, the ILO said.

The allegations referring to the "murder, disappearance,
arrest and detention" of a number of trade union leaders and
workers were "extremely serious," the ILO said.

Indonesian authorities have taken no remedial action and the
charges against them leads the ILO to believe "that the general
situation of workers in Indonesia has not evolved but is still
characterized by serious and worsening infringements of basic
human and trade union rights..."

The ILO urged the government to release Muchtar Pakpahan,
general chairman of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI)
and other union officials who were arrested on July 30.

In Jakarta, manpower ministry spokesman Sutanto dismissed the
allegations, saying the condition of workers in Indonesia has
been improving, and that in the last few years they have gained
many basic rights.

Sutanto told The Jakarta Post the government is committed to
improving workers conditions and has made numerous efforts on
this front, citing regulations such as minimum wages and welfare
as examples.

On Pakpahan, he said the labor leader is under arrest for his
political activities, not for labor matters.

Sutanto said Indonesian law allows for the establishment of
new trade unions other than the Federation of All-Indonesian
Workers Union (FSPSI).

The government has refused to recognize SBSI because it was
not founded by workers but by politicians, he said.

FSPSI chairman Marzuki Ahmad said he did not accept the ILO
report.

"I find it astonishing that the ILO could reach such
conclusions," Marzuki said.

The report was a gross generalization of the situation in
Indonesia and failed to take into account recent progress, he
said. (rms/03)