Workers always get blamed

From Forum Keadilan

Labor strikes have become popular issues for several months in this country. The strikes, which made the government busy, not only occurred in big cities, but also in small towns.

Most of the workers have low education, some are even illiterate, so the government and businessmen can easily oppress their rights, including not providing compensation for overtime. They are not yet permanent daily workers although they have been working for more than 10 years at the companies. It means that they have no health or life insurance, other facilities, and the amount of their wages falls under the government's minimum wage policy.

Because their rights are oppressed, they are determined to fight against the businessmen and government legally. But unfortunately they always fail because of the complicated bureaucracy. One case may take years to resolve, even though the workers only demand that the businessmen increase their wages by Rp 1,000 to Rp 2,000. Instead of getting a better salary, they always fail and are blamed by their own friends because they cause trouble. So they cannot see any better ways to express their anger and dissatisfaction than demonstrations or strikes.

Expressing their complaints on the street, they hope that the government and businessmen will listen to them. But ironically the poor people were beaten by the police and blamed as trouble makers who endanger the national stability. And no more than 24 hours after the strike, they were fired and arrested by the police. It doesn't make sense and it is a very stupid thing!

Tell us where can they be free to speak? Where can the poor get protection? Why should they always be victims of oppression? How can they fight for their rights? Why should the workers be blamed for disrupting national stability? Why are the businessmen, who have made the workers poor and depressed not brought to court? Why do they always win? Where is the justice?

EFFENDI PANJAITAN

Medan, N. Sumatra