SBSI demands release of detained activists

SBSI demands release of detained activists

Yuli Tri Suwarni
The Jakarta Post
Bandung

Hundreds of members of the Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union
(SBSI) marched to the West Java provincial legislature compound
to demand the local authorities release all detained activists
and stay out of industrial disputes.

The demonstrators, from the Cimahi industrial area, entered
the compound and were escorted by a score of security personnel
ready to respond to any hint of the possible violence that has
marred visits in the past.

They called on authorities to avoid using repression when
dealing with striking workers, as not only does it go against the
reform agenda, but the use of repression would affect the whole
nation and democracy.

"We want the authorities to respect the supremacy of the law
and to avoid interfering in industrial disputes between workers
and employers," said a demonstrator at a free speech forum in the
legislative council building.

The demonstrator called on security authorities to release all
31 labor activists who had been detained over the last two weeks.

"The police should not only release detained members of the
All-Indonesia Workers Union Federation (FSPSI) but also those
from other labor unions," said the demonstrator.

Twenty-one activists were arrested while leading a mass rally
last week to protest the two labor bills being deliberated by the
House of Representatives and two more were detained in another
demonstration on Wednesday. Seven detained activists from FSPSI
have been released.

Supardjo, a labor activist for SBSI, is in police custody
pending further investigation in line with the beating of a
police officer during the violent rally.

Tatang Rochyani, chairman of the local chapter of SBSI, called
on the provincial legislative council to be more serious in
responding to workers' demands to drop the two labor bills.

"Workers will continue striking until the legislature listens
to their aspirations," he said in a meeting with the
legislature's Commission A and Commission E for political,
security and economic affairs.

He questioned the legislature's commitment to improve the poor
labor conditions in the province, saying that the legislature did
not understand the two controversial bills.

"The two bills on labor development and protection and on the
settlement of industrial disputes have met with opposition from
labor unions because they both fail to show the government's
obligation of providing constitutional protection for workers.

"The two bills take the employers' side and are
discriminative," he said, adding that the contents of the two
bills were similar to Law No. 25/1977, which was dropped by the
House and the government.

He said the government and the House should bear in mind their
constitutional task of providing protection for people, including
workers.