SBSI reports violations to rights body

SBSI reports violations to rights body

JAKARTA (JP): The independent Indonesian Prosperous Labor
Union (SBSI) reported the mistreatment its activists have
received from government officials and the military to the
National Commission on Human Rights yesterday.

Led by chairman Muchtar Pakpahan, the delegation of 15 labor
activists were received by secretary-general of the commission,
Baharuddin Lopa.

The activists reported four violations by the authorities:

* The police disbanding a training course for SBSI members in
Sibolangit, North Sumatra, on Nov. 28, 1995, and the subsequent
ban on the union's activities in the region.

* Confiscating letters addressed to the labor organization and
tapping the union's telephones over the past three years.

* The police disbanding a discussion organized by the union on
Tuesday.

* Intimidation by the military since the union was established
in 1992.

Muchtar said the government and the military have invariably
cited security reasons as grounds for restricting the
organization's activities.

"The government does not have the right to ban our
organization, or bar us from corresponding with overseas labor
organizations because freedom of association and speech is
guaranteed by the Constitution," he said.

He said he had the evidence that the authorities had seized
letters sent to SBSI by many foreign labor unions.

He also charged that the military has pressured companies to
dismiss around 5,000 SBSI members.

Muchtar went on to accuse the police of giving electric shocks
to two SBSI members they were questioning for allegedly being
involved in labor strikes in Tangerang and Bekasi last year.

He identified the activists as Raswan, the chairman of the SBS
chapter in Tangerang, and Eliasa Budianto, the chairman of the
SBSI chapter in Central Jakarta.

Lopa called on the SBSI, the government and the Armed Forces
to hold talks to reduce misunderstandings.

He said the incidents the activists mentioned were "excesses
of a basic problem; namely poor communication between the two
sides."

The commission is "ready to facilitate such dialog," he said.

He also said the commission had met with Minister of Manpower
Abdul Latief to discuss the problems faced by the independent
union. "He promised to hold talks with SBSI, though he hasn't
done so," Latief said.

Latief has frequently stated the government would never talk
with SBSI because it is not an official labor union.

Lopa suggested SBSI consider merging with the government-
backed All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI). Muchtar said the
members agreed to do so if "SPSI became an independent and
democratic workers union".

The organization should also be "cleansed" of politicians, he
said.

In addition, the government and military must never interfere
in labor matters, including the labor organization's internal
matters, he said.

He said SBSI, which recently became affiliated with the
International Free Trade Union Organization, had no political
interests.

"We represent workers to improve their economic welfare. That
is all," he said. (rms)

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