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)