Rev. Jackson's nudging

Rev. Jackson's nudging

This weekend Indonesia was privileged and honored by the short
visit of Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of America's leading civil
rights leaders. Although he made some remarks and judgments that
many Indonesians would not necessarily agree with, some of his
assertions are worth considering.

The main purpose of his visit was to observe working
conditions in Indonesia and to check if they meet international
standards. He visited a local factory producing Reebok shoes but
was denied a visit to a local Nike plant, another major producer
of American sporting goods and shoes. He met with leaders of the
FSPSI, the government-sponsored labor union, as well as the
unrecognized SBSI trade union.

He showed the extent of his concern by meeting with Megawati
Soekarnoputri, the embattled leader of the Indonesian Democratic
Party, to talk about the elections and the civil rights movement
in Indonesia.

But perhaps the most contentious point raised during his stay
was his insistence on trade being tied to labor rights and human
rights. According to Jackson, trade privileges accorded to
developing countries by the U.S. government should be conditional
upon the respect of these rights.

The suggestion has already been rejected by the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose foreign ministers are
currently meeting in Jakarta. The battle over the "social clause"
is also being waged through the World Trade Organization where
developed countries are pushing to establish such links.

Rev. Jackson's motive may have been political as his trip here
was sponsored by the Rainbow Coalition, a U.S. group concerned
about American jobs being lost to Asian workers. But his point
carried moral overtones as well. The choice, he said, is not
between having jobs with low pay and not having jobs at all, as
many people in this part of the world often argue. "One should
never have to trade off work and dignity. In slavery, everyone
had a job but no dignity," was one of the most memorable remarks
he made here, as quoted in the press.

While his allegations that Reebok and Nike shoes are being
produced in sweat shops here and other countries in the region
may not have been entirely convincing, they were punctuated by
the opening of the summer Olympic Games, which coincided with his
visit.

It is not immediately clear how much fact finding he carried
out during his brief stay or if he collected enough information
to make a sound judgment. From just a brief look at Indonesia,
one can be forgiven for assuming that workers here are severely
underpaid.

But if Rev. Jackson had looked at the past few years he would
have seen remarkable progress. This is especially true with
regard to minimum wages throughout the country, which have been
increased almost to the point of Indonesia pricing itself out of
competition. It is true that the Rp 5,200 (US$2.30) daily minimum
wage for workers in Jakarta pales compared with even the hourly
minimum wage set in the U.S., but one should not judge by the
standards of America where the cost of living is substantially
higher. Progress was also made when the government revoked its
decree empowering the military to quell worker strikes.

But then again, there is plenty of room for improvement on the
labor front, including the current trade union law which critics
claim to be a violation of the Constitution's guarantee of
freedom of association. Here, and in other areas where
improvements need to be made, is where Rev. Jackson's voice
really matters and should be listened to.

None of the problems he raised are new, and some have already
been debated here. Still, a little reminder and small nudge from
a moral voice and a man of Rev. Jackson's stature wouldn't hurt,
especially if that is what it takes to bring about change in this
country.