Labour Threatens to Sit on the Hasanuddin Airport

MAKASSAR - Day of workers of the world which falls on May 1, 2011, will be commemorated one thousand workers joined in the opposition People's Front of Indonesia (Fori) South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, May 1. Workers in South Sulawesi, will make a protest at the flyover, then continued their actions at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar.

Labour plans to occupy the airport as a form of disappointment trade union, the attitude of the government which has been judged to adversely affect many workers. One form is giving the provincial minimum wage (UMP), and the system of contract work that much harm workers. With this outsourching working system, the workers do not have the certainty of the future. Hence, labor activists are demanding that the work system outsourching immediately deleted, and no more workers are hired with the contract system.

"So, after we make a protest in flyover, we will move to the airport. If necessary, we conduct our disappointment occupation as a form of government, which does not care about its people," said a spokesman Fori South Sulawesi, Muktar and Haedir, Thursday, 28April.

Not only that, he also called on the workers in this region to occupy the other vital objects that are symbols of government. They said he was, was tired of protesting in the governor's office and parliament, because the government and legislature do not ever want to listen to people's aspirations. In South Sulawesi, he said, there are still many employers who do not enforce minimum wage standards to provide wages to their employees.

Muktar said, the workers had a few years down the road to shout demands for welfare of working people paid attention. But until now, the government never realize the demands of working people.Hence, the moment will be re-used Mayday students as a moment to make demands on government.

Fori Sulsel also criticized the Department of Labor which provide less protection for the fate of workers in this area. In fact, he considered that agency seem more defending employers from workers who claim their rights. Even regarding the number of workers, Fori Sulsel assess relevant agencies do not have valid data. "The data collected there are only about 70 thousand workers. In fact we estimate that workers in South Sulawesi above 100 thousand," Muktar said.

Haedir added, the policy number of companies that employ workers with a contract system, is one form for workers' life miserable. "As a result, labor contract system to easily get intimidated or even layoffs when it receives a problem from the company or engaging in trade unions," said Haedir. (Hamsah umar)