Solidaritas.net, Bekasi – The Consolidation of Worker’s Struggle Solidarity (Gabungan Solidaritas Perjuangan Buruh) federation exercised rally to the regent’s office of Bekasi regency on Tuesday, October 10th, 2014. These rally carrying some labor issues and democracy issues.
According to Ata Bu, head of politic division of GSPB, they demand 50% wage raising, local labor regulation issue, establishing the Court of Industrial Relationship at Bekasi regency and rejected the abolition of sectoral wages.
“The minimum wage at Bekasi regency should be 3.6 million rupiah at least. According to the central bureau of statistics, the rate of national family needs at least 5.6 million rupiah per month with three family members.”
He mentioned last year demand also 50% of wage raising. If this year the workers reduced their demand, it means the workers admitted their actual basic needs lower than 50%.
“It means the workers admitted the last year demand as a mistake, whereas it’s not right, actually with only 50% wage raising still couldn’t meet the worker’s family needs. We realized this demand is difficult to achieved, but this is the right things to fighting for, even more.”
GSPB also agreed with the existing of local labor regulation as long as fulfill the worker’s right, set the implementation guidelines for the official labor investigator, there should a clear authority severance between the official labor investigator and police, a firm penalties for the employers who violated the law, abolition for outsourcing and contract system.
“The sanction for employers who made violation should be mentioned on the local labor regulation. It should be giving punishment and treat as criminal offense or civil act offense, for example, revocation of their business license. The Regent could do these under the regional autonomy system.”
Besides, Ata hopes Bekasi regency had their own Court of Industrial Relationship. These will be simplified the workers to reduce the cost of trial act. It’s also made the workers could monitoring their case because it’s closer than if the trial held at Bandung Court of Industrial Relationship.
Ata believes the struggle for better welfare must include the struggle for democracy, because it’s might not done without democracy. Unfortunately, only few of trades union realized these fact, even supporting an anti-democracy politician on the election. Most of trades union thought it’s enough just to struggle for welfare and democracy has no connection with it.
“That’s why, we held the rally to Bekasi Regent office also to reject the act of districts election which anti-democracy. It’s also important to ask the Bekasi Regent to reject those act who made the districts election through parliament. The Bekasi Regent didn’t had any authority for doing this but he must have a standpoint, which shown already by the other Regents who standing to reject these act. From here we could see his commitment for democracy.”