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Labor ruling looks set to boost May Day rallies
Jakarta Globe - April 30, 2012
Faisal Maliki Baskoro & Bayu Marhaenjati – A recent ruling in favor of workers in a labor dispute is expected to boost Tuesday's planned massive May Day rallies as police and military prepare to impose a heavy security presence on the streets across the country.
The Indonesian Forestry and Wood Workers Union (SP Kahutindo) said on Sunday that it had won a case at the Bandung State Administrative Court against Iwata Indonesia over the forestry firm's practice of not paying outsourced employees their full due.
A statement from the union said the court had delivered its ruling last Tuesday, ordering the company to pay its 140 outsourced workers their full salaries, yearly bonuses and social security premiums and to recognize their annual leave.
Rulita Wijayaningdyah, the SP Kahutindo international secretary, said the ruling marked a victory for workers ahead of May Day but was only a small step toward achieving full recognition of all workers' rights.
"The reality is that there are lots of cases that get stalled in court, lots of cases that go unresolved because of appeals and lots of cases that we've lost," she said.
She said that while the Constitution and the 2003 Manpower Law clearly sided with workers, stipulating that outsourced workers should receive the same benefits as permanent employees, a lack of enforcement was the root of the problem.
"The regulations are positive, but there's a problem with implementing them," Rulita said. "The enforcement and implementation on the ground is not yet 100 percent. There are lots of cases where workers' rights remain unfulfilled."
She said that for May Day, SP Kahutindo would mobilize some 10,000 workers to take part in demonstrations across the country, joining in a rallying cry for full recognition of outsourced workers' rights, along with higher minimum wages.
"Our main demands relate to the problems of outsourcing and a livable wage, which is not the same as the official minimum wage," she said.
The minimum wage, which varies by region, is determined by local authorities, employers and unions and based on living costs for a single worker – a flawed system, Rulita said, because it failed to take into account workers' dependents.
"What if a worker has a wife and children? Then the minimum wage isn't enough. That's why we're asking for the calculations to take dependents into consideration," she said.
She added that the forestry union would not take part in May Day rallies in Jakarta because it had few workers here, but the capital is still expected to see the day's biggest demonstrations.
Sr. Comr. Rikwanto, a Jakarta Police spokesman, said some 16,000 security personnel would be on hand to keep the demonstrations under control.
"There will be 2,796 personnel from the Jakarta Police, 8,030 from the municipal police forces, 2,038 from the National Police, 2,674 from the military and 530 from Satpol PP [public order agency]," he said on Sunday.
He also said there would be a heavy security presence at key points such as the State Palace, the House of Representatives and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.
"We've received notifications from several unions and groups who intend to take part in the rallies. We estimate there will be some 50,000 demonstrators coming in from all over Jakarta," Rikwanto said.
He added that the rallies were expected to run from 10 a.m. to around 4 p.m., with no rallies allowed after 6 p.m. He also warned of the likelihood that traffic would be rerouted along several roads.
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