Rights commission proposes merger of SPSI and SBSI

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission of Human Rights joined in an appeal, yesterday, for the two major workers' unions in Indonesia -- one of which is not officially recognized -- to merge into one organization.

Commission Secretary General Baharuddin Lopa was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying that he had considered a merger back in February and communicated this during a meeting to Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief.

He said the government should either recognize the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) or merge it with the All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI), "so that the workers' struggle to secure their rights can be made more effective."

SBSI officials have made several visits to the headquarter of the National Commission on Human Rights, each time complaining about harassments against their leaders and members.

The SBSI has been challenging the government's policy of recognizing the SPSI as the only organization allowed to represent workers in negotiations with management.

The government has fallen short of declaring SBSI illegal but it has also refused to give its official recognition.

Lopa said Minister Latief, responding to the proposal, said he would study the matter but had not commented on the matter since then.

Earlier, a similar appeal came from Sanjeeva Reedy, an executive of the International Confederation of Free Trade Union (ICFTU), during a visit here.

More effective

Sanjeeva reportedly said that a merger between the two unions would make the workers' struggle in Indonesia more effective and also facilitate the admission of an Indonesian union into ICFTU, which has its headquarters in Brussels.

ICFTU, with which 124 unions from various countries are now affiliated, has not accepted either the SPSI or the SBSI because neither of them fulfills the requirements, according to the Antara report.

Although not officially accredited, SBSI has been able to enlist workers into its union, mostly from those who had been discontent at the poor performance of SPSI in representing their interests.

SBSI however has ran into troubled waters following the massive workers' riots in Medan last April, which left one businessman dead and dozens of factories damaged.

The rebel union has been blamed for masterminding the riots. Its chairman Muchtar Pakpahan has been questioned as a possible suspect although he has not yet been arrested.

SPSI officials, reacting to the proposals for mergers, said they would welcome SBSI workers into their ranks but they will not be permitted to carry the SBSI banners.

Last year, SPSI reverted to its old format as a confederation which oversees 13 sectoral unions. (emb)