Labor unions plan strikes against ministerial decree

Labor unions plan strikes against ministerial decree

JAKARTA (JP): A number of independent labor unions are
planning a series of strikes to force the government to revoke an
amendment of a ministerial decree on severance and service
payments.

Jacob Nua Wea, chairman of the All-Indonesia Workers Union
Federation (FSPSI), said FSPSI would mobilize labor activists and
workers in Greater Jakarta to stage a strike at the manpower and
transmigration ministry on May 16.

"On May 21, 2001, all trade unions under the federation will
again organize a similar demonstration at the office of all
governors across the country to make provincial administrations
aware of their rejection," he said here on Friday.

Jacob said further that some 5.1 million members under the
Federation would be asked to take "leave" on May 22 and May 23,
as a warning to employers that workers were serious about the
matter.

"No regulation bars workers from taking leave en masse and
neither the government nor employers can blame the workers," he
said.

Jacob said FSPSI also planned a massive demonstration at the
National Monument Square on June 11 if the government resisted.

"We hope the decree will have been revoked before a national
strike happens," he added.

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Al-Hilal Hamdi,
amended Ministerial Decree 150/2000 on May 4 which was issued by
his predecessor Bomer Pasaribu.

The amendments scale back the amount of compensation, service
and severance pay given to resigning, retiring or dismissed
workers.

Labor unions have charged that the minister buckled under the
pressure of foreign investors and big business.

Jacob, also a legislator for the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said on Friday that FSPSI rejected
the amendments as it excluded the right of retiring workers to
receive service payments.

"Employers cannot regard the pension funds as service payment
for retiring workers because the pension funds were collected
from workers," he said.

Mochtar Pakpahan, chairman of the Indonesian Prosperity Trade
Union (SBSI), said that after coordinating with FSPSI, SBSI had
decided to stage a demonstration at the manpower and
transmigration ministry on May 17 to protest the decree.

"We have 300,000 members in Jakarta and surrounding areas, and
this number will be enough to fill the manpower and
transmigration ministry compound on May 17," he warned.

He said he had also asked SBSI's chapters in North Sumatra,
Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung, West and East Java to
organize labor strikes until the decree is revoked.

Antoni Silo, program coordinator of the Social Information and
Legal Guidance Foundation (Sisbikum), said in cooperation with
the Confederation of Independent Labor Unions (GSBI) it would
also organize a series of labor rallies in the next two weeks in
Tangerang and Bekasi.

"We are very disappointed with the government which has bowed
to pressure from foreign investors and issued the amendments
without taking into account the negative impact beforehand," he
said in a press release.

Antoni said the amendments contained in Decree 78/2001 were
contradictory to the national development program aimed at
improving the people's social welfare and creating social justice
in the society.

"In the case of labor dismissals, the new decree cannot
function as a social safety net because the compensation outlined
in the decree is not adequate to cover dismissed workers' daily
needs," he said. (rms)