Indonesian labor rights still too limited: ILO
Indonesian labor rights still too limited: ILO
By Ridwan Max Sijabat
JAKARTA (JP): The International Labor Organization (ILO) has acknowledged the progress Indonesia has made on labor rights over the years, but said the situation still left much to be desired.
A number of workers' basic rights are still denied by employers and the government, including the right to organize and the right to a living wage, according to the head of the ILO's Jakarta office, Herman van der Laan, who spoke to The Jakarta Post early this week.
"There has been some progress, but Indonesia needs to promote some fundamental labor rights and provide effective labor dispute mechanisms," Van der Laan said.
Indonesia's labor policies have been the subject of strong criticism from both domestic and international observers. The government has frequently defended its record, saying the country has its own labor development course and that foreign bodies should not interfere.
Several international bodies have questioned the government's policy of recognizing only one labor union, the All-Indonesia Workers' Union (SPSI), and barring the establishment of other labor unions. Concern has also been expressed over the rising incidence of labor strikes, usually held over low wages.
Van der Laan said the last two annual meetings of the ILO had seen serious discussions of what he described as the poor labor conditions in Indonesia and several other countries.
Indonesia's decision not to grant workers the right to establish their own organizations was questioned last year by the ILO's annual conference.
The organization brought the problem up again in its most recent international meeting, earlier this year, where it spoke of poor working condition and wages as well "abuses of workers rights" in Indonesia, El Salvador and Peru, Van der Laan said.
The report issued by the ILO following that meeting referred to "grave violations of human rights" in the three countries, including assassinations, torture and arbitrary detention.
It cited similar reports by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labor.
The latter two organizations have also criticized the Indonesian government's refusal to allow workers to organize independently of the government-sanctioned SPSI. They have accused the authorities, including the military, of intervening in union activities and in strikes.
The government has refused to recognize the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI), which was established in 1992, and has imprisoned a number of its activists, including SBSI chairman Mochtar Pakpahan. The activists were convicted of involvement in a labor rally in the North Sumatran capital of Medan last April, which took on a an anti-Chinese tone and left one local businessman of Chinese descent dead.
Van der Laan conceded that the ILO did not have the authority to impose sanctions on countries which it considers violate workers' rights. Instead, it issues recommendations for action to member states, he said.
He said that the ILO, through its recent meeting, had asked the Indonesian government to recognize the workers' right to organize. It also urged the government to review a number of its labor policies, including that which prohibits the establishment of alternative trade unions.
In 1994 the United States threatened to revoke Indonesia's trade facilities under the Generalized System of Preferences, on the basis of what it claimed was the government's poor labor record.
The revocation was recommended by a number of powerful US trade unions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Contribution
The ILO's Jakarta office, which opened 24 years ago, plans to continue to contribute to the government's efforts to promote the welfare of Indonesian workers and afford them basic rights.
"In addition to helping the government carry out its labor development program, the ILO is also forging cooperation with local NGOs to raise workers' awareness of their rights," Van der Laan said.
"Hopefully, this effort will eventually improve workers' collective bargaining power and organizational ability."
Only by promoting workers' welfare and rights can the government create favorable conditions for economic growth, he said.
This growth would, in turn, enhance national competitiveness in the global market, he said.
Van der Laan said the ILO would be holding its next meeting in Geneva from June 6 until June 23. It would discuss the labor situation in its member countries and planned to highlight the issue of occupational health and safety for mining workers, he said.
The meeting will also discuss protection for home industry workers.
"These issues are relevant for Indonesia's situation," Van der Laan said, adding that Indonesia had many mines and that great numbers of workers were working under poor conditions.