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President Tells Ethnic Chinese To Think of Their Workers
Arientha Primanita, Agus Triyono & Agustiyanti | February 04, 2012

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parhusipparhusip
11:02pm Feb 5, 2012

why chinese? i can't figure out why yudhoyono stress chinese business people?


Valkyrie
7:28pm Feb 5, 2012

jchay....

You and I and also many others know that what they did was an act of racial discrimination which is, if I am not wrong, illegal.

FPI is free to conduct these acts without any fear of the the authorities.

Receiving renumerations for their acts is NOT considered haram? We all have to live with it, like it or not.

I personally appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Thank you very much.

jchay
7:03pm Feb 5, 2012

Just saw a picture of banner by FPI (Islam Defenders Front) in Singkawang, a small majority-Chinese town in West Kalimantan, that says: "Haram hukumnya bagi umat Muslim mengikuti ritual & menonton Cap Go Meh" (it is haram for Muslim to participate & watch Cap Go Meh festival).. I think we have enough radical bigots like FPI mobs who constantly spread hate and violence messages to the citizens of Indonesia like minorities Ahmadis, Christian, Chinese who all pay hard-earned tax money to government of Indonesia, this country definitely do NOT need a President like SBY to say and act like FPI mobs..

didikarjadi
4:36pm Feb 5, 2012

the words Pot and Black come to mind.

The state of this nation, and what is to come, is the fault of Yudhoyono, probably the Worlds weakest leader, and his cronies.

apakatadunia
1:49pm Feb 5, 2012

"It's So Easy To Blame Others For Everything That's Wrong In Your Life. So I Blame You, For Everything That's Right" and "When you blame others, you give up your power to change".

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told ethnic Chinese businesspeople on Friday to improve the welfare of their workers as labor unrest continued to trouble parts of the country.

“I hope businesses can adjust wages in accordance with their true ability to pay,” he told the gathering in Jakarta for Chinese New Year.

Yudhoyono said that as companies saw their profits rise, they should share the wealth with workers through better pay.

“We should not wait for workers to demand justice,” he said. “We must be wise and think of their livelihood.”

West Java saw massive labor protests after a court ruled in favor of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), which had challenged a gubernatorial decree increasing the minimum wage. Thousands of workers in Bekasi from about 300 companies blocked the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road for several hours on Jan. 27.

There were more strikes planned, but Apindo and the labor unions reached a deal that helped prevent further action.

Apindo had also announced a that it would file a lawsuit challenging a minimum wage decree issued by the Banten governor, but the specter of a massive strike that had been planned for Friday and the government’s entreaties caused the employers’ association to back down.

In the wake of the labor unrest, Yudhoyono has been criticized by both sides. Businesspeople say he should have taken a stronger stance against the workers and complain that rowdy unions will make foreign investors think twice about bringing their money into the country.

Labor leaders have castigated the president for doing nothing to improve the welfare of the working class.

The wage decree in Banten was issued by Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah last month, ahead of the gubernatorial election in the province. It raised the minimum monthly wage in Tangerang, which is home to numerous factories, from Rp 1,379,000 to Rp 1,527,150 ($153 to $170).

The central government, trying to avert the kind of unrest seen in Bekasi, asked Apindo to accede to the workers’ demands and drop its lawsuit. Apindo agreed to drop the lawsuit during a meeting with workers arranged by the government.

But tensions are still simmering. Workers are upset about a clause in the deal that allows employers who can prove they are unable to meet the required wage increase to ask for a delay in its implementation. And on Friday, a confederation of labor organizations, which has branches in 22 provinces, threatened to hold a massive strike on May 1.

“We are just consolidating. We have agreed that we will hold simultaneous rallies in 22 provinces on May 1 so that our demands are met,” said Mochtar Guntur Kilat, the organization’s deputy president.

He said the rallies would be concentrated at government buildings and public facilities.

“We will prove that we are not afraid of threats from the authorities,” he said.

Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said the central government would help governors, mayors and district heads monitor minimum wages in their areas.

A committee, he said, had been formed to do this.

Additional reporting from Investor Daily