Observer: Workers' Rally Legitimate And Constitutional

Jakarta, Oct 3 (ANTARA) - An observer has said that the workers` street rallies staged on Wednesday throughout Jakarta and surrounding areas were seen as legitimate and constitutional in their demand for the scrapping of outsourcing and contract systems, as well as low payments. Based on the complaints filed by the workers, most cases often had to do with contract and outsourcing systems, said Febi Yonesta, the director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Agency (LBH) in a release made available to Antara on Wednesday. "In the past five years, we recorded that violations in implementation of law on manpower have worsened and there has been a rise in the number of cases. But most of them are inseparable from contract and outsourcing systems, as well as the freedom for workers to be members of labour unions. In addition, there are cases relating to low payment which are against the government�s standard wage," she said. LBH Jakarta also recorded that despite the large number of cases on the violation of the law on manpower, no measures have been taken by authorities. The standard wage has already been stipulated by the government but labour-related crimes are still dominant. Unfortunately, no businessmen have been brought to court until now. Many cases filed by the workers with the police and manpower supervisory agencies are viewed as input but the government has taken no action against those involved in violating the contract and outsourcing system, according to Yonesta. She added that it seemed like all violations were intentionally left unheeded. In fact, the workers were left to their own devices while facing the managements of their companies through the industrial relations court. Strikes and street rallies are legal rights of the citizens, said Muhammad Isnur of the Research and Development Department of LBH Jakarta. Chapter 137 of the law on manpower No 13, 2003 reaffirms that staging such a demonstration is the basic right of workers. In the meantime, chapter 143 of the law also stresses that one can not hamper workers and labour unions from using their rights to stage a demonstration in an orderly and peaceful manner, he added. He also said that the government therefore could not ban workers from staging such street rallies and strikes, as they are protected by the law. Furthermore, Yonesta said that LBH Jakarta has basically called on the government to immediately scrap the outsourcing and contract system, to allow the workers to be members of labour unions and to provide them with proper wages.