By: Muhammad Irsyad) *
Support from elements of society towards Jokowi-Ma-ruf as President and Vice President continues to flow. One element of that society is the labor group represented by the Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI) and the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI). In fact, the two organizations of the two largest labor organizations warned that no party would interfere with the inauguration of the elected President and Vice President.
President of the Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI) Andi Gani and President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday (30/09). Both of them are ready to support Jokowi’s government in the second period.
KSPSI President Andi Gani said that the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KPSI) Said Iqbal supported the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Gani said that Said Iqbal provided support to the Jokowi government legally, even though in the 2019 Presidential Election KSPI supported Prabowo Subianto.
Said said, when the competition was over, we needed to maintain a constitutionally elected president. Both the KSPSI and KPSI Labor Organizations, are ready to support the Jokowi government. Gani also appealed that no party foil the inauguration of the Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin couple.
The two organizations also agreed to declare their stance to affirm their support for Mr. Jokowi, and there must never be any unconstitutional activities let alone unconstitutional actions that wish to thwart the inauguration of the President and Vice President. Said Iqbal said, workers have a role in ensuring Jokowi’s government can run according to the constitution. He said he had conveyed a number of ideas related to labor interests.
Iqbal also wants that the inauguration of the President planned to be held on October 20, 2019, so that it becomes a legitimate government, so that it can carry out all the mandates of the people, has an interest in conveying to the President several ideas and ensuring that the government implements them in a constitutional and peaceful manner. Meanwhile, Iqbal also briefly discussed related to labor rejection of the revision of the Manpower Act, revised PP 78 on labor wages, and asked for BPJS class 3 contributions not be raised because it was considered detrimental to workers.
Responding to this, the Minister of Manpower Hanif Dhakiri said that the revision of the Manpower Act was still in the stage of review. The government is gathering aspirations from stakeholders to discuss the revision of the law. He also said, changes to the Manpower Act would include the creation of a more flexible labor ecosystem.
After the meeting with the two union leaders, Jokowi said that the outcome of the meeting between him and the union leaders was to discuss how to build a good investment climate and be related to employment. The meeting between state leaders and trade union leaders certainly has important significance. We know that Said Iqbal is a figure known to be critical of government policies. Countless times he led the action to convey aspirations to President Jokowi.
The meeting with President Jokowi was certainly a sign that what Said Iqbal was fighting for with KSPI was purely in the interests of the Workers. Not based on personal grudges. As one of the largest trade union confederations in Indonesia, KSPI has a KLAP strategy. Concepts, Lobbying, Action and Politics. This is what underlies that the meeting is part of the KSPI struggle strategy, which is lobbying.
When some colleagues say, many times the action is carried out by mobilizing the masses, why is it still deadlocked, is there no other way? For example, by maximizing the lobbying process, the same as what has been maximized by Said Iqbal towards Joko Widodo. On the same occasion, Iqbal said that Labor is part of the people, has an interest to convey to the President related to several ideas and ensure that the government carries out its mandate in the constitution.
This means that the meeting was not only to convey praise to the government, but also to be an arena to convey the aspirations of the workers to get a better life. We all certainly want that the elected President and Vice President will be able to carry out the constitutional mandate, that every citizen has the right to obtain decent work and livelihood. That natural resources must be utilized as much as possible for the prosperity of the people. Democracy must have a place in the Republic of Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Jokowi said that he had received many proposed names to take up ministerial positions including the Minister of Manpower. Jokowi assessed the proposal of the Minister of Manpower of the trade unions to be quite good.
This meeting certainly shows how democracy does not require a sense of revenge, although Iqbal previously supported Prabowo, but Jokowi seemed to give time to listen to his aspirations and Iqbal also had no grudges with the elected president, instead he kept the president’s inauguration running smoothly.
) * The author is a social political observer
