Latief foresees industrial disputes will increase

Latief foresees industrial disputes will increase

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief, predicting
that the number of industrial disputes in Indonesia will
increase, appealed to the workers union and employers yesterday
to work together to help defuse possible tensions.

"The rising number of conflicts between workers and employers
is a logical consequence of the industrialization process which
the nation is going through now," Latief said in a written speech
to a seminar on legal protection for workers.

The number of industrial disputes in Indonesia increased from
344 in 1992 to over 360 in 1993 and it is expected to increase
again this year, he said in the speech read by his aide, Yunus
Samad.

"The thing to do now is to anticipate these disputes and
contain the problems so they don't disrupt the national
development and the industrialization program," he said.

The government and employers should continue to realize their
respective functions in ensuring harmonious labor relations,
while the workers union must strengthen itself and become more
professional in looking after the interests of its members, he
said.

"All sides should respect Pancasila Industrial Relations and
comply with the laws to ensure the industrial harmony," he said.

The Pancasila Industrial Relations concept encourages workers
and employers to engage in negotiations to resolve their
differences rather than having the workers going on strike,
although strikes are allowed by law.

Latief also promised that the government will review many of
the labor laws that are already out of date.

Normal

The one-day seminar, organized by the School of Law of the
University Atmajaya, also featured officials of the Ministry of
Manpower, the Association for Indonesian Businessmen (Apindo) and
the All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI).

Latief said that labor conflicts were bound to increase with
more and more people now shifting from the agriculture sector to
work in the industrial and service sector. "It is normal and
logical if labor problems related to industrial relations and
legal protection for workers are rising."

In addition, with the political openness and democratization
now being pursued in Indonesia, more and more workers are
beginning to understand their rights and are demanding that their
employers respect them, he said.

Anthonius Soedjadi, dean of the university's school of law, in
his paper called on the government and employers to comply with
all labor legislations and respect workers' right to create
harmony in their own industries.

"The labor laws are clear and complete," he said. "But in
their enforcement, the workers have a weaker bargaining position
and are often victimized."

If the government, employers and workers abide by the laws,
labor conflicts and industrial strikes would not happen, he said,
adding that the laws should side with the workers because of
their weaker bargaining position.

Soedjadi also questioned the government's trade union policy,
especially the fact that only the SPSI is permitted to represent
workers in disputes with management.

Guarantee

He pointed out that the 1945 Constitution guarantees freedom
of association which he said should also extend to workers.

He called the recent reorganization of the SPSI, reverting to
its former format as a federation, as a superficial move which
had done nothing to encourage the establishment of truly
independent unions. "Its content is the same. It's still a single
organization."

The SPSI, following the reorganization last year, now oversees
13 sectoral unions.

Soedjadi also deplored the low unionization rate in Indonesia,
citing SPSI's own data showing that only 7.6 percent of around
140,000 companies employing over 4.5 million workers have their
SPSI units and only 1.5 percent have signed collective labor
agreements with their workers.

Apindo Secretary General Ferdinandus in his paper said
employers should encourage dialog with their workers to defuse
potential problems.

"Management should understand and comply with the labor laws
and encourage their workers to help create industrial harmony as
stipulated in the Pancasila industrial relations concept," he
said. (rms)