Union hopes to bolster image with new name

Union hopes to bolster image with new name

JAKARTA (JP): The All Indonesian Workers Unions (SPSI), which has officially changed its name into the Federation of the All Indonesian Workers Unions, yesterday pledged to work hard towards improving its image among workers in the country.

The new name, a mere addition of the word federation, was endorsed at the just concluded congress which saw the union formally reverting to its old form as a federation of a number of trade unions.

The presidium of the new federation, which was elected during the congress last week, has set out improving the image of the organization as one of its top priorities.

The old SPSI was beset by a big image problem -- that it was widely seen a government-sponsored union and therefore lacked independence in representing and fighting for the interest of workers.

This weakness has led to the establishment of two independent unions in the last four years, challenging the government's rule of recognizing only one union, the SPSI. The two independent unions however have now faded into obscurity.

Wilhelmus Bokha, a member of the newly elected presidium, said the next five years is crucial and probably the only opportunity for the SPSI Federation to improve its image.

"If we fail again to develop the labor organization's image, I cannot image what would happen," Wilhelmus said at a media conference to present the presidium's new members.

He said SPSI's failure in representing the interests of workers in the past has tarnished its image, and led many workers to become skeptical of its mission.

Bomer Pasaribu, the head of the presidium, said the federation and its 13 trade unions would consistently carry out the programs endorsed at the congress in Caringin, West Java, last week, which are aimed at improving the welfare of workers.

"We will work hard to make the programs successful," he said.

Andi Hisbuldi Patundru, the presidium's secretary general, underlined the need for better coordination and communication among the union executives.

Bomer said the unions would run courses and training for union representatives at factories, empowering them with greater negotiation skills which are necessary in dealing with management.

"Workers are equal partners to management and the government in bipartite and tripartite negotiations," Bomer said.

Harmonious industrial relations could not be reached unless workers were treated as equal partners, he added.

The federation plans to launch a campaign to promote the concept of Pancasila industrial relations, which emphasizes deliberations and consensus in settling differences rather than confrontations, he said.

The trade unions will join in the government's current campaign to compel companies to enroll their workers in social security programs, he added.

"We will do our best to bring as many workers as possible to join the organization and to be enrolled in the state-run social security insurance program, Jamsostek," Bomer said.

"We concede that we have done a little in the past. But give us time to improve the organization's image," he said.

There are around 30.8 million paid workers in Indonesia, but only 30 percent of them have joined the SPSI Federation, and only 25 percent of them are enrolled in the Jamsostek, according to the federation's estimates.

Of the 47,000 companies which employ 25 workers or more in Indonesia, only 40 percent of them have signed collective labor agreement with their workers.

Bomer said the federation plans to enroll employees of government enterprises, because they should be considered more as workers than civil servants as the case is now.

"They have no reasons to be included in Korpri because they are not civil servants," he said, referring to the Corps of Indonesian Civil Servants.

The Federation will also strive for increases in the minimum wage levels set by the government and will appeal to companies to pay their workers above these minimum wage levels.

"The daily minimum wage levels are no longer adequate for a single worker to meet his/her daily needs," he said. (rms)