Protect striking workers: Abdurrahman

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)