Students in Bali condemn government for failing migrant workers

Okezone.com - May 1, 2011

• Buruh Bali Absen Peringati May Day – Okezone. Minggu, 1 Mei 2011

Rohmat, Denpasar – The commemoration of International Labour Day in Bali was commemorated by a number of different student organisations. Workers however were absent from the protest.

At around 10am, scores of students marched from the Udayana University campus in the capital Denpasar towards the Sudirman and Dewi Sartika intersection. Along the way they stopped to give speeches in the middle of the road in which they condemned the government for failing to pay attention to the fate of migrant workers.

"Workers are still oppressed. The packet of Department of Labour and Transmigration laws have further marginalised workers", said People’s Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights (Ardham) public relations officer Hairul during a break in the action. Moreover the laws regulate outsourcing or contract labour, which clearly harms workers.

According to the students, there is no political will on the part of the government to take concrete action to improve workers' welfare. They added that the packet of three labour laws fail to side with workers and only benefits employers.

"The administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono has failed to bring prosperity, as proven by the migrant workers in Saudi Arabia that were abandoned just like that without protection. Not to mention workers in Indonesia working in the factories with low wages and being robbed by the owners of capital", asserted Hairul.

Unfortunately, the commemoration of May Day, which was organised by the Udayana University Student Executive Council (BEM), was not joined by Balinese workers.

In addition to giving speeches, they also handed out leaflets to passing drivers containing a statement of six demands including opposing contract labour systems and outsourcing and rejecting mass sackings. (ful)

[Abridged translation by James Balowski.]