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.