By: Dodik Prasetyo )*
The employees’ plans to go on a mass strike will be canceled because the labor union has approved the omnibus law. The KSPI and dozens of other labor unions agreed with the omnibus law draft because it makes it easier for investment to enter Indonesia. So that the economic world will be more vibrant and have a positive impact on the labor climate.
Initially, the workers agreed to go on strike on 6-8 October 2020. They did so to oppose the omnibus law. But then there was a revision so that the strike was canceled. Because the labor union approved the Job Creation Bill, which in the employment cluster benefited the employees. Misunderstandings have been cleared.
A total of 16 labor unions have audited with DPR members to discuss the omnibus law on the Job Creation Bill, especially in the labor cluster. During the meeting held at a star hotel, the omnibus law draft was not final, so it could still be changed. The DPR certainly will not make a bill that is detrimental to employees.
Said Iqbal, a representative from the Indonesian Workers’ Confederation, expressed his gratitude to all representatives of the DPR. Because they want to listen to the aspirations of the workers. When they can sit in 1 forum and discuss the labor cluster in the omnibus of the Job Creation Bill, they will avoid misunderstandings due to differences in the interpretation of the articles.
Iqbal continued, he strongly supports the omnibus law of the Job Creation Bill because it encourages investment to enter Indonesia. In that sense, there will be many investment projects in this country and automatically requires a lot of employees. The workers can apply in droves there.
If the labor union has agreed with the omnibus law on the Job Creation Bill, it is hoped that there will be no further demonstrations. The strike was also canceled, because it showed the incompatibility between the labor union and the workers. Even though the labor union has agreed with the omnibus law on the Job Creation Bill, workers should not be influenced by provocateurs.
In addition, mass strikes can harm many people. If workers at cellphone providers do not want to work for 3 days, it will be dangerous because the signal might disappear from all over Indonesia. The absence of a signal can be detrimental not only to companies, but also to their families. The workers should have thought about the domino effect of the strike.
Actually, the issue of strikes has been regulated in Law Number 13 of 2003 Article 137. In this article, workers are allowed to strike. But the problem is, the strike will be carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic. So that when they strike and go on a long march, they are worried about causing a new corona cluster.
Even though the strikers who were demonstrating were wearing masks, they still gathered in public places. The absence of this distance violates the health protocol, so that the event must be dismissed by the authorities. Especially when they drink from 1 bottle of the same, droplets can transmit the corona. Rather than causing further disasters, it is better to stop the demonstrations and mass strike.
Often the strike participants just followed suit and didn’t know why they had to get together and stopped working for 3 days. If you refuse, then you can be threatened by irresponsible people. Even though they are paid daily, so they don’t get income during the strike. If it’s like this, will the provocateurs take responsibility?
Beware of the instigator in the factory because he takes advantage of the workers who are still innocent. Actually the workers did not know the calmness of the omnibus law but were invited to strike and demonstrate against it. The trade union should pick up the provocateurs and provide education about the Job Creation Bill.
The mass strike of the workers will be stopped due to the fact that the labor union has approved the omnibus law. There should be no strikes and demonstrations, because there is a risk of creating a new corona cluster. Beware of provocateurs who insist on asking workers to strike.
)* The author is active in the Indonesian Strategic Information Study Institute (LSISI)