Violent protests irrational: NGOs

JAKARTA (JP): A labor watchdog has claimed that the recent violent labor protests demanding the revocation of two ministerial decrees on labor issues were irrational as they were not comparable to their goals.

"The behavior of these labor movements has kept foreign investors away and is irrational compared to their aims," chairman of the Jakarta Institute of Labor (IPJ), Tutur Suwito, told a media briefing.

He added that too much force was being used to protest about a relatively trivial issue,"It's like killing a cockroach by using a big hammer,".

An analyst at the institute, Marsen Sinaga, explained that the new Decree No. 78/2001 and Decree No. 150/2000, which gives more power to businessmen to control workers, are actually legally baseless and so therefore, should not be maintained.

The decrees are violating the higher law, which imposes the principle of presumption of innocence, where a company cannot hand down punishment to a worker who faces legal problems before he/she has been proven guilty.

"Law No. 12/1964 on the dismissal of workers at private companies stipulates that a worker can only be punished if the police have found the worker guilty. So the decrees are not really useful," Sinaga said.

Instead of issuing the decrees, it would be better to optimize negotiations between businessmen and workers that are open to public and are facilitated by the government, he added.

Labor protests have turned violent in several provinces, which has prompted the government to establish a tripartite forum to settle labor unrest.

The institute has called for a temporary halt to all labor movements in order not to disturb the forum's work and not to worsen conditions.

"Any group should halt their movement and concentrate on overseeing the forum. Labor issues have become caught up in a vicious circle, it's not an easy matter to settle," Sinaga said.

Sinaga's colleague Henry Simarmata revealed the institution's plan to hold discussions with business associations to ask them to be open with the problems faced by them in the forum.

"Negotiations between companies and their workers always take place behind closed doors. It's time to reveal everything so both parties can reach more civilized agreements," he said, adding that the IPJ and other nongovernmental organizations will hold a meeting with the Indonesia Employees Association (Apindo). (bby)