By: Savira Ayu) *
The plan of the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal who insisted on taking mass action to reject the Omnibus Law on April 30 was unfortunate. The mass action plan that was held during the Covid-19 pandemic contradicted the Police Chief’s announcement and endangered everyone. Because, every demonstrator can increase the risk of transmission of COVID-19, not only for the workers themselves but also their families.
Towards Labor Day on May 1, 2020, KSPI has begun issuing discourse to demonstrate on April 30, 2020. In general, they are demonstrating in front of the Parliament Building or other strategic areas. This mass action was carried out to sue the omnibus law to reject the termination of employment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
If the community had tolerated this annual demonstration before, it would not be in 2020. In the midst of the corona pandemic, there was even mass action. It was an action that was widely criticized by people. Because they violate social distancing policies. Do these workers lack work or consider themselves powerful and immune from all diseases, and underestimate the corona virus?
If KSPI continues to force demonstrations. The prohibition on leaving the house was violated by the workers. Not only that, they stood close together when carrying out mass actions, and certainly violated the PSBB policy. Government rules are strictly prohibited. Only for the sake of labor day celebrations and to satisfy their lust for cursing superiors who are deemed to lack respect for their services.
When ignoring social distancing, the risk of transmitting corona will be enormous. The virus can jump easily and weaken human immunity. Especially if he has a congenital disease such as asthma, pneumonia, or auto immune, it will be very quickly infected.
Corona virus-related diseases do not yet have a vaccine and victims continue to fall. People who are infected also do not show obvious symptoms. Suddenly they are short of breath and feel unwell. If there is no medical help, then lives will be at stake. Are the workers still determined to carry out mass actions, and feel healthy, even though COVID-19 can be infected? What if suddenly his body went limp then his life was revoked right then and there?
Besides being dangerous for themselves, the mass actions of the workers also put their families in a precarious situation. The corona virus could have been transmitted to the employee and then infected all members of his family, from his wife to children. This shows that this demo is a very selfish act, because it can transmit the virus and make many innocent people become corona patients.
If there are elderly people in the house such as in-laws or biological mothers, then they are more at risk of corona quickly. Because there is already research that seniors are more susceptible to the COVID-19 virus. Even if there are small children in the house, it can also contract corona. It would be very sorry if that tiny hand had to be infused and breathe air with a ventilator, and had to be treated in isolation.
Are the workers still determined to demonstrate if there is a high risk of transmitting deadly diseases? They should be aware of why there is a PSBB policy and social distancing. The government must have thought carefully about why there should not be a group of people in the middle of this pandemic. They should understand it and then cancel the intention to demonstrate.
When there is a commemoration of labor day, it should not be used as a moral hazard to claim rights that have not yet been achieved, such as salary increases or stay at home holidays with full benefits. In the midst of a pandemic, workers should obey the prohibition of gathering and understand why this policy exists. Everything aims to prevent the virus from spreading again to all people in Indonesia.
) * The writer is a student, active in the Student Circle and the Cikini Press