Greater Jakarta workers set up new labor group

Greater Jakarta workers set up new labor group

JAKARTA (JP): Employees of 100 companies operating in Jakarta
and its surrounding areas established on Sunday a new union
called Serikat Buruh Jabotabek (Greater Jakarta Labor
Organization) in a bid to improve their bargaining position.

The new organization was announced at the end of a two-day
congress attended by about 200 employees of the 100 companies.

Rahman, the congress' organizing committee chairman, said
Sunday that the meeting elected Sutiyono, a worker from
Tangerang, to chair the new organization, which is intended to
help defend workers' economic and political interests against
both the government and employers.

"We will focus on the improvement of the workers' bargaining
position," Rahman said, claiming that the new organization could
include about 10,000 people.

He said the members could be either workers and former
workers, who were involved in a series of activities and
demonstrations critical of the government.

They were mostly those who used to be supervised by non-
governmental organizations specializing on labor issues, such as
the Akatiga foundation, the Daya Darma Institute and the Bakti
Pertiwi foundation, he said.

"We have set up a new workers organization because thus far we
have not been included in the existing formal organizations,"
Rahman, a former textile company worker, said.

He said the new organization's members were affiliated to
neither the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) led by
Muchtar Pakpahan nor the government-backed All-Indonesia Workers
Union (SPSI).

He said the organization's membership was based on the
location of their respective companies, not the type of jobs nor
the firms products, as was the case in other worker unions.

Most of the congress participants were workers' leaders.
Sinto, a worker from cable producer PT Sucaco in Tangerang, said
that he and his friends were still discussing with their company
the provision of severance payments.

He said his company planned to dismiss about 400 workers out
of its 1,200 work force because of the economic crisis.

The dismissed workers staged a demonstration last month to
reject the severance payment offered by the company because it
was too low, he said.

Another employee, Rina, from plastic producer PT Alform in
Tangerang also led her colleagues in a demonstration last month.

"But the company only fulfilled some of our demands, including
an increase in welfare allowances," she said.

A worker at Nike shoe producer PT NASA in Pasar Kemis,
Tangerang, said his company was planning to dismiss 700 out of
its 10,000 workers.

"We are still discussing the severance payment as well," he
said.

The participants were entertained on Saturday by singer Leo
Kristi, who sang the Hands of Sun, Labor Song, which was written
specially by poet Afrizal Malna.

Afrizal also attended the congress at the Wisma Samadhi guest
house in East Jakarta on Saturday. (jun)