Labor activists threaten to stage hunger strike

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)