By Cipto R.
JAKARTA — Since the middle of the year, strikes have been increasing. Recently the Ministry of Manpower raised the Jakarta minimum wage to Rp3100 (A$2), and companies should have been paying this amount by July.
There have been at least 200 strikes in the west Jakarta industrial estates so far this year. Businesses have been especially affected because they have been trying to pass on the cost of income tax increases by holding down wages.
The government has been experimenting with ways to stop this trend. In 1992, special combined military exercises were held to train troops in methods of handling strikes. The use of troops at factories increased.
But this method had its problems for managers because they were expected to pay the military for services rendered. One new way that businesses dealt with this was to form their own permanent security units, often using active soldiers from the commando forces (KOPASUS).
In recent weeks new methods have been tried out. In the case of Masplon Pty Ltd,, reported in Republika newspaper on July 30, a spy was employed at the factory. After a strike and after the company agreed to some of the workers' demands, some machinery was burned. The next day the organisers of the strike were summoned and harshly interrogated by the military.
Another case where the use of hired spies is suspected is that of the murder of the woman worker activist Marsinah, which has become a major issue in the media.
More recently an incident took place in Harapan Daya Pty Ltd, which produces electronics under the brand Daichi. In May the workers there struck to demand an increase in wages and improvements to other conditions, including the granting of holidays and lunch money. But the company conceded only on the demand for holidays. The company, the Ministry of Labour and the local military combined to force the workers to join the government puppet union, the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI), and to promise not to go on strike again.
A month later, the company gave "incentive money" to several of the workers who were involved in the negotiations in order to tame then and ensure no more strikes. Other workers heard of this and threatened to strike if they weren't also provided with the same "incentive" payments.
The company then used another paid spy, "Yongki". He arranged with another worker, Parman, to buy a radio from him if he could pinch one from the stores. As soon as Parman made the delivery, he was arrested by a security unit which included members of KOPASUS. He was taken to the local security post, where he was beaten and forced to drink liquor. After he was beaten and made the local police station. Because he couldn't stand the torture, he finally gave them a list of his close friends.
On July 27, these workers were summoned one by one and interrogated about "thefts" of electronic goods. The personnel section tried to cajole them into confessing by saying they would surely be able to keep their jobs if they confessed.
But on July 28, the seven workers were called away from their work again. This time they were met by the military, including KOPASUS members, who loaded the workers into a truck and took them immediately to Cileungsi Police Station, where, after being beaten and tortured, they "confessed". But only one of the workers was formally charged. As of July 31, these seven and Parman, all of whom were involved in organising the May strike, remain in jail, accused of "theft".
The company has been able to get rid of the strike organisers by having them set up on criminal charges. In this way, they do not need to pay any redundancy money. The workers will also be black-listed as criminals and not be able to find any further employment.