Protect striking workers: Abdurrahman

SEMARANG (JP): Workers who go on strike should be accorded protection because they are exercising their legal rights, prominent Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid says.

Workers go on strike to press their demands and their action is recognized by the law, Abdurrahman said at a seminar on workers' rights and obligations.

The seminar held on Sunday night was organized by the Institute for Moslem Art and Culture.

Abdurrahman, known for his controversial ideas, said that there is a tendency for workers who go on strike to end up being fired by the management. "And it is no secret that in such disputes, the government always sides with the management."

Although the law recognizes strikes as among workers' rights, the government abhors them because of their impact on the economy, and maintains that strikes should be used only as a last resort.

The Pancasila Industrial Relations concept promoted by the government emphasizes deliberation to reach consensus as a means to resolve any conflict between workers and management.

Over the last year, the number of strikes has eased because the government has clamped down hard on companies which fail to pay their workers the minimum wage.

Abdurrahman said new legislation should be introduced to regulate and ensure that workers can exercise their right to strike without facing intimidation.

He said this right is vital for workers pressing for better remuneration. "Without this right, it is impossible that the workers' welfare can improve," he said.

He emphasized that the power to strike is one of the workers' main bargaining chips when they negotiate with their employers.

Workers should also be allowed to organize by themselves without undue pressure from anyone; not the government, and not even the All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI), he said.

Putting forth still another controversial concept, Abdurrahman said the ulemas (Moslem scholars) in Indonesia have virtually ignored the plight of workers in the country, even though the religion teaches of the need for all people, including workers, to have the ability to lead a decent life.

"We have to question the purpose of the presence of these ulemas," said Abdurrahman, who chairs the Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, which is active in promoting Islamic education and welfare.

Islam, he said, teaches that everyone is entitled to what is due to them, or at least the minimum basic amenities of life. "The religion teaches that we have to pay workers before their sweat dries," he added.

"If an employer is denying his workers this, then he is acting against the religion." (har/emb)