Workers asked not to strike during APEC

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)