Rights council to probe report of labor abuses
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights has promised to investigate allegations of abuse regarding the rights of workers in North Sumatra and West Kalimantan.
Commission Secretary General Baharuddin Lopa made the pledge after meeting with representatives from 14 non-governmental organizations which presented their reports of workers' rights being trampled in Medan and Pematang Siantar, both in North Sumatra, and in Sanggau, West Kalimantan.
The NGOs filed reports of disputes between workers and their employers in a number of companies in these three towns.
"We are considering forming a fact finding team to investigate the issue of human rights abuse in the three towns, as you have indicated here," Lopa told the delegation on Thursday. He was accompanied by other commission members including Marzuki Darusman, Bambang W. Suharto and Djoko Soegianto.
The NGO delegation includes executives from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), the Religion Forum for Human Rights (FAHAMI), the Solidarity Forum for Labors (FORSOL), the United Democratic People (PRD) and the Village Betterment Secretariat (SBD).
In their statement, they asked the Commission to lobby the government to prosecute employers who fail to respect the rights of their workers, especially those which have led to labor protests in the three towns.
"They should prosecute employers and the members of the Armed Forces (ABRI) who break the law, and not simply going after workers and activists," said Teten Mashudi of the YLBHI who acted as their spokesman.
More than 80 people, including workers and labor activists, are currently on trial for their alleged role in the workers' protests that turned into full scale riots for one week, in and around Medan last April. One businessman died in the riot.
Lobby
The delegation urged the Commission to lobby the Armed Forces to stop interfering in future labor disputes.
They said ABRI's meddling in labor disputes rarely solve the problems thoroughly. Very often ABRI side with the employers, they said.
Responding to their demands, Lopa said the Commission has also the same mission of defending the rights of the oppressed. But he reminded the delegation to be more realistic as the Commission's authority is limited to human right issues only.
"The Commission could not investigate something in the way the police do, and the Commission could not judge something the way the courts do. What the Commission can do is help those whose rights have been abused or even denied," Lopa said.
Thanking them for their concern over labor problems, Marzuki asked the delegation to furnish the Commission with more accurate data.
A. Sihombing, an NGO activist from Pematang Siantar, told the Commission that 12 workers and one NGO activist were detained by police without legal basis during last month's labor protests at NV.STTC Group Pematang Siantar, a big cigarette manufacturing firm. Hundreds of workers have been forced to quit their jobs.
Fachrur of the SBD reported to the Commission that the labor disputes which erupted last May at PT Erna Djaliawati Plymill in West Kalimantan has also resulted in the dismissal of hundreds of workers without clear reasons.
Responding to their reports, Lopa promised to check them and take positive action soon. "If these details are accurate, for sure we will lend a hand." (11)