Youth organization calls govt, parliament to expel SBSI from East Kalimantan
Monday, November 13 2000 - 04:30 AM WIB
The KNPI youth organization calls the East Kalimantan administration and the local parliament to expel the SBSI labor union from the province.
The local Kaltim Post daily quoted head of the provincial KNPI Zainal Arifin as saying that SBSI has created unrest in the province through the labor strike it organized.
He said that the government and the parliament should issue a ruling forbidding SBSI from operating in the province.
"This is the determination of the youth. We believe that others who want this area to be peaceful will support us," Zainal said.
The calls against the existence of SBSI in East Kalimantan have intensified recently after the labor union organized a labor strike at oil and gas firm PT Vico Indonesia and coal mining contractor PT Thiess Contractors Indonesia which have cause the two companies to temporarily halt operation.
The protesting employees have demanded among other things a raise in salary.
The local chamber of commerce and industry (Kadin) and the Indonesian Employer Association (Apindo) had also expressed displeasure against SBSI, saying that the labor union had played a provocateur role in creating unrest in the region.
Meanwhile, secretary executive of SBSI East Kutai office Chaerullah denied allegation that SBSI had been organizing a violent labor strike. Chaerullah said that the labor strike was a peaceful demonstration.
He also denied allegations that SBSI had paid women and children to participate in the strike, arguing that their participation was meant to support husbands and fathers.
Chaerullah said that any effort trying to expel SBSI from the province was in violation of the ILO convention and the country's Constitution.
He pointed out that the Constitution maintained the right of the people to meet and form organization.
He also said that according to the Law No. 21/2000 on labor, anyone who was trying to prevent labor from expressing their rights could be given a sanction of 5 year jail term or a penalty of Rp 500 million (US$=Rp9,100). (*)