Labor activists threaten to stage hunger strike

JAKARTA (JP): Five members of the Committee for United Action of Indonesian Workers (KAPPI) have threatened to go on a hunger strike unless the government lifts the 1998 ministerial decree on the registration of labor organizations.

"The ruling has caused the ongoing friction within the All Indonesia Workers Union Federation (FSPSI)," KAPPI Chairman Alexander Sinaga told The Jakarta Post here on Friday.

Following the ratification by Indonesia of the ILO Convention on the freedom of association in June 1998, Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris issued a decree in July requiring all sectoral trade unions, rather than the federation, to register with the Ministry of Manpower.

Eleven of 13 sectoral trade unions which have registered with the ministry formed a splinter federation in August and held a congress last week that elected Hartono, chairman of the plantation and agriculture union, and Mohammad Rodja of the textile and leather union, as president and secretary-general respectively.

FSPSI Chairman Datuk Bagindo has refused to recognize the breakaway group and condemned the congress, saying the 11 unions' rebellious move was against the labor union's statute.

"If the ministerial decree had not been issued, the segregation and the conflict would not have happened," said Alexander, who said that he and four fellow activists would stage the hunger strike at FSPSI Headquarters in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.

Around 30 workers from Greater Jakarta have occupied the FSPSI headquarters to prevent the splinter group from taking over the building.

"We are ready to face all actions taken by the splinter FSPSI Reformasi in its attempts to take over this building," he said.

In a related development, in a hearing with House Commission V on labor, Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris overrode some legislators' objections and stressed the need to revise the 1997 labor law.

The meeting, chaired by Marzuki Achmad of Golkar, was the first reading on the draft law on the deferral of enforcement of the labor law.

Fahmi reiterated the controversial law had prompted criticism and protests from both employers and workers. Unless it was amended, more protests would be sent to the House and the government, he said.

Yusar Hasan of the Armed Forces faction spoke against amending the law, saying it already accommodated the aspirations of experts and workers and guaranteed workers' rights.

The Golkar faction hailed the deferral proposal, saying changes should be made because of numerous developments over the last year.

"The law should be adjusted to the ILO convention and workers rights should be clearly stipulated in the law," Ismoe Handoko of Golkar said.

Saleh Khalid of the United Development Party faction urged the government to defer the law's enforcement for than one year because it would need more changes on account of the various political changes likely next year.

"One year will not be enough for the House to revise the law because the nation will be busy with the general election and the People's Consultative Assembly's General Session and their preparations next year," he said. (rms)