By: Putu Prawira)*
The community rejects the workers’ strike and demonstration which is planned to be held on December 6-8 2021. In addition to hampering national economic recovery, strikes and labor demonstrations have the potential to trigger new clusters of Covid-19.
The issue of salary has always been a sensitive issue because for some people the nominal is less. Whereas the size of the salary is relative, and employers have tried to comply with the regulations by giving employees salaries in accordance with the UMP. They are aware that currently many are having difficulties due to the corona so that the salary distribution is not cut at all, even though the situation is not stable.
Every year there is also an increase in salary for employees, in accordance with existing regulations. However, the workers always protested. This year there was a salary increase but they felt it was lacking, so they would go on strike. The chairman of KSPI Said Iqbal stated that a mass strike would be carried out nationally because the workers did not agree with a salary increase of only 1%.
Said Iqbal continued, the strike would be carried out by more than 2 million workers and they protested against a salary increase that was deemed inappropriate. They also did not agree on the formula for the lower limit of PP number 36 of 2021 regarding wages.
Even though this salary increase has become an agreement, so it cannot be annulled. The general chairman of Apindo, Haryadi Sukamdani, stated that a strike may be carried out as long as there is a disagreement between employers and workers. In a sense, if there is a salary increase, the workers inevitably agree to it, because it is in accordance with government regulations. So in this case there is no disagreement between the two parties.
Workers should be grateful because there is a 1% increase in salary, rather than stagnant or even cutting. Do the workers want to have the same fate as their friends in other factories who inevitably cut their salaries, so that the company does not go bankrupt? It seems that if there is a strike they will not be grateful, even though the UMP DKI Jakarta is more than 4 million rupiah.
In addition, the strike is feared to trigger a new corona cluster. If there is a strike, the workers will gather and usually hold a long march as a form of resistance. Even though this activity formed a crowd because the workers were standing close together in solidarity, so they couldn’t keep their distance and violated health protocols.
Especially when the strike is on average hot and the workers finally take off their masks. When masks are not worn, that’s where the covid-19 virus strikes, and they can have bad luck because they don’t know which of their friends is OTG. Moreover, if many have not been vaccinated, the spread of corona will be easier.
Don’t let the strike end in disaster because in the end they all get corona. Even though they have washed their hands, striking workers may forget and take off their masks, then shake hands, hug their friends and sit next to each other. They violate several points in the health protocol at once.
If a new corona cluster is formed as a result of a strike, the workers themselves will be hit by the stone. They have to rest for at least a week and when they are still day laborers, they are forced to not get paid. The intention is to increase salaries, those who are actually suffering because of the corona.
Not to mention the risk of contagion of corona in the house. Are they not afraid if they come into contact with OTG during a strike, then pass it on to their beloved children? How miserable is the little boy who knows nothing, but suffers from his father’s selfishness.
Therefore, stop the strike plan, O workers. Remember that it is still a pandemic period, so gathering and striking is a dangerous thing, because it causes crowds. Instead of getting corona and suffering in the end.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
