Senior official attends SBSI meeting

JAKARTA (JP): The government for the first time turned its attention to the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) here yesterday as Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris delivered a written speech to a meeting of the former rebel trade union.

The minister's speech was read out by a member of his expert staff, Payaman Simanjuntak, at the opening of a union meeting.

The government has never formally recognized the SBSI, which was formed in April 1993, despite recently ratifying the United Nations Convention on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.

However the mere fact that a senior government official attended the meeting was in sharp contrast to the kind of treatment previously accorded to the SBSI.

The military have refused to give the SBSI meeting permits on several occasions and broke up its maiden congress in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java, in 1994 and several other meetings which it held in North Sumatra and Jakarta.

In the past the government recognized the Federation of All Indonesian Workers Union (FSPSI) as the only sanctioned workers union.

Muchtar Pakpahan, who founded and leads SBSI, was sent to jail for allegedly provoking riots during a workers rally in Medan, North Sumatra, in 1995.

At yesterday's meeting, which was attended by Muchtar and 800 workers from the Greater Jakarta area, the minister called for strong trade unions to help improve workers' welfare and productivity.

"In ensuring the freedom to organize among workers, the government will encourage the establishment of strong, professional and independent trade unions to improve workers' competitiveness and ensure peaceful industrial relations in the future," he said in his speech read out by Payaman.

The minister expressed hope that professional and independent trade unions would educate workers on their rights and obligations and carry out training programs to improve their productivity. (rms)