Ref: Mr President, seeing is believing, otherwise it is only hot air http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/era-of-worker-injustice-is-over-yudhoyono-says/559172
Era of Worker Injustice Is Over, Yudhoyono Says Arientha Primanita | December 01, 2012 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has announced his support for improved welfare and higher wages, saying that the era of cheap labor and lack of justice for workers is over. The president said that it was the government’s responsibility to support a decent living for workers. However, he also called on workers to maintain productivity and to stop any action, like raids or violence, that could hurt the national economy. “I have already called for better wages, provided that there is no violence that could hurt the business sector. If raids continue to take place, it’s impossible for companies to grow and to give higher wages,” the president said in Jakarta on Friday. The president also called on companies to comply with the regulation on minimum wages and to report any illegal levy practices. “Companies that are being subjected to illegal levies can communicate with me through PO Box 9949,” he said. He ordered the eradication of illegal levies in the business sector that could disrupt companies’ ability to supply better wages for their workers. “There has to be the correct and fair solution for both workers and companies. There’s got to be a win-win formula to keep the national economy moving,” he said. The president said that workers and entrepreneurs need to improve communication to reach an agreement on wages. He also called on regional officials to understand the roots of problems in their areas, especially those related to land disputes. “When the region grows, make sure that local residents get to enjoy it and get a good income,” he said. The president called on the authorities to uphold the law in the case of looting or land misuse. He instructed the National Police to be responsive and professional and to address all security problems. “Don’t avoid or show skepticism [in enforcing the law] to prevent [people from thinking that] we’re letting it happen,” he said. The president called on all regional governments and police to address three main problems: communal clashes, work-disrupting raids and land disputes. “We have to overcome and manage justice appropriately to prevent it from becoming a time bomb,” he said. He added that communal clashes often emerge because of Indonesia’s pluralistic and multicultural community. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
