Workers denaunce military involvement in labor matters
Workers denaunce military involvement in labor matters
JAKARTA (JP): About 150 workers from two Tangerang firms
protested at the Ministry of Manpower on Wednesday, demanding the
military keep out of labor matters.
About 80 of the protesters are employees of garment
manufacturing company PT Tae Yung Indonesia. The others are
workers of PT Tri Pacific Electrindo.
Tae Yung Indonesia's workers denounced the military presence
in their workplace and the company's dormitories early this
month. They are members of the Federation of Independent Trade
Unions (Sesbugar).
They said in a statement the military was called in by Tae
Yung Indonesia to intimidate workers from joining the union.
Melly claimed the company transferred 11 workers who were
Sesbugar board members to its other factory in Cibinong,
southeast of here.
"The transfer was intended mainly to discourage and separate
them from their supporters in the company," she said.
"Their removal was conducted because the company did not agree
with the establishment of Sesbugar. This was also aimed at
restricting the federation's activities."
Protesters also urged manpower minister Fahmi Idris to use his
influence to compel the company's management to return the
Sesbugar board members to the Tangerang factory.
They called on the company to desist from restricting the
federation's activities, and to allow workers to form trade
unions to defend their interests.
Twelve representatives of Sesbugar requested a meeting with
Samidi, the director of industrial relations, but he was abroad.
Wearing white headbands, the protesters sat and chatted when
the protest began at 8 a.m.
The 70 workers of Tri Pacific Electrindo also protested the
military presence in their workplace in Tangerang on March 20.
Soldiers entered the factory site without any prior
explanation and disturbed the factory's production process, the
workers said in a statement.
They also demanded the company raise their wages commensurate
with skyrocketing prices of daily necessities, stop worker
dismissals and allow them to form labor organizations.
Protest coordinator Sofyan Hadi said they would continue
protesting at the ministry until the company and the ministry met
their demands.
Meanwhile, about 100 workers of furniture company PT Inatai
Golden Furniture also protested at their factory complex in
Cilincing, North Jakarta, for improvement of their welfare.
Workers walked around the complex, site of six buildings, to
encourage other workers to join them, said Eko Handoko, a protest
coordinator.
Among their demands were the provision of a daily meal
allowance of Rp 3,000, transportation coverage of Rp 2,000 and
abolition of the contract system.
Workers also wanted the company to provide each night-shift
worker with two cans of milk per week.
"Employees who work the night shift need extra nutrients," Eko
said. (01)