Workers asked not to strike during APEC
JAKARTA (JP): An official of the city administration urged employers and workers in Greater Jakarta yesterday to avoid labor conflicts leading to strikes or demonstrations before and during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next month.
"We are all responsible for helping the meeting to succeed," Freddy Tuamelly, head of the city manpower office, said in a ceremony for the signing of a collective labor agreement between the management of PT Setiawan Sejati, a print equipment supplying company, and its workers.
The summit, to be attended by 17 heads of states, is scheduled to be held in Jakarta and Bogor, West Java, from Nov. 8 to 10.
Among the executives present at the ceremony were representatives of the Jakarta chapter of the All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI) and of the Association of Indonesian Businessmen (Apindo).
Freddy warned about the possibility of strikes, protests or other kinds of labor conflicts to attract the attention of foreign delegates attending the summit. "Third parties" will strive not only to discredit the government but to damage the nation's image as well, he said.
Freddy urged managements to take humane approaches when solving conflicts with their workers. "No problem is without solution," he said.
Greater Jakarta, which also includes Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, accommodates thousands of factories which employ millions of workers.
Christo Panggabean, the president of PT Setiawan Sejati, said that the collective labor agreement was signed in a bid to give certainty to doing business in the area and to help improve the workers's welfare.
He expressed satisfaction that after the long process, the management and the unit of SPSI representing workers in the negotiation table finally reached the agreement on workers' rights and their obligations.
Doriani Sihombing, chairman of the SPSI unit at the company, who shares the same feeling, said that negotiations between workers representatives with the management went as well as expected.
"We feel that we are treated as partners and we have never been put under pressure on any points," he said.
In addition to company remuneration, the collective labor agreement also contains stipulations regarding workers rights, annual leaves, monthly leave for female workers, annual bonuses and other social securities. (rms)