Hartono elected FSPSI Reformasi chief

JAKARTA (JP): Hartono, chairman of the plantation and agriculture sectoral trade union, was elected president of a splinter faction of the All-Indonesia Workers Union Federation (FSPSI Reformasi) for the 1998/2003 period, in its congress in Cianjur, West Java, on Tuesday.

Ali Samioen, chairman of the congress' organizing committee, told The Jakarta Post by telephone on Tuesday that a 22-member team representing 11 sectoral trade unions participating in the congress elected Hartono as president and Ch. David as vice president. David is current chairman of the transportation union.

"The election was held democratically and fairly," Ali said.

FSPSI has split into two camps, one calling itself FSPSI Reformasi and the other remaining loyal to current FSPSI chairman Datuk Bagindo.

Datuk slammed Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris on Monday for practicing "double standards" when Fahmi said the government could do nothing but recognize the new union, citing the International Labor Convention on freedom of association which the government has ratified. He regretted the minister's recognition of FSPSI Reformasi, to which a statement by him was read out at its congress opening on Sunday.

Datuk said the government should refuse to recognize the counter labor organization because it was against the law and the ILO Convention, because the new union used the same name and the same address. (rms)