UNIONISTS AGAINST CORPORATE TYRANNY
FNPBI leader Romawaty Siniga will speak at UACT/ASIET seminars in Melbourne
27 August and Sydney 2 September, as well ASIET public meetings in Canberra
4 September and Brisbane 6 September.
Local labor unions to help protect overseas workers
===================================================
Jakarta Post - July 29, 2000
Jakarta -- The Association of Labor Exporting Companies (Apjati) and 18
labor unions signed on Friday an unprecedented memorandum of understanding
(MOU) to provide protection and improve the bargaining position of
Indonesian workers overseas.
Apjati chairman, Abdullah Umar, said that with the agreement the labor
unions would be allowed to represent workers and prospective Indonesian
migrant workers in negotiations with labor exporters and employers overseas.
"This agreement benefits not only workers but also labor contractors who
have been blamed in problematic cases involving workers," he said after the
signing ceremony here on Friday. He added that labor unions should also be
given responsibility for providing training programs for workers.
The unions include the Federation of All Indonesian Workers Unions (SPSI),
the Reformed SPSI, the Indonesian Muslim Labor Union (Sarbumusi),
Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI), Indonesian Moslem Workers Union
(SPMII) and the Confederation of Indonesian Labor Unions (Gaspermindo).
Muchtar Pakpahan, a labor activist and SBSI chairman, said that the SBSI
was planning to assign four labor activists to Saudi Arabia to handle cases
involving Indonesian workers in Middle Eastern countries.
"We have forged cooperation with the Confederation of Mideast Labor Unions
to provide protection for Indonesian migrant workers under the ILO
convention. And we have reached an agreement that allows our workers in
that region to be associate members of the confederation," he said.
Muhammad Rodjak, Reformed SPSI chairman, said his labor union would
collaborate with the Ministry of Manpower and Apjati to provide protection
for workers from the time of their departure until their arrival back home.
"We will fight against labor brokers who have frequently extorted money
from prospective Indonesian overseas workers and make sure that labor
exporters stick to official procedures," he said.
Rodjak added that numerous workers were in trouble or involved in disputes
with their employers because they lacked the necessary information and
skills prior to their departure.
Asked to comment on the number of labor unions involved, Rodjak said this
was expected to create better competition in attracting prospective workers
as members and providing services to them. "To me, it is better for all
migrant workers from Indonesia to set up their own union overseas to
improve their bargaining position," he said.
--
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