"Violence against labor activists and workers staging peaceful rallies must be avoided," Chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI), Said Iqbal, said in a statement made available to ANTARA here Monday.
Iqbal, who is currently a member of the International Labor Organization Governing Body, urged the police to stop intimidating labor union leaders in different ways ahead of a nationwide strike that Indonesian workers plan to stage this week.
Summoning of KSPI Secretary General Rusdi, named a suspect in connection with a workers rally held in front of the Merdeka Palace on October 30, 2015, by the Jakarta Metropolitan police investigators, amounted to a form of intimidation, he said.
"Rusdi is the KSPI secretary general. If he is intimidated, the workers will respond to it and we do not want anything unexpected to happen during the nationwide rallies, due to take place from November 24 to 27," he said.
Despite the polices move of summoning Rusdi, known as one of the influential labor activists in Indonesia and an alumnus of the strong Association of Islamic Students (HMI), Iqbal said the labor leaders and workers will not be deterred from staging the nationwide strike.
He, however, directed all the workers to ensure that the strike remains peaceful and asked them to avoid anarchic acts when voicing their rejection of the implementation of the governments new formula for an annual wage hike.
As for the police, Iqbal urged them to shun any plans to take any repressive action against the workers, who will stage the rallies from 06.00 am to 06.00 pm.
Head of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Criminal Division Senior Commissioner Krishna Murti said earlier that Rusdi was summoned as a suspect in connection with the workers rally in front of the Merdeka Palace on October 30.
At that time, the demonstrators had crossed the time limit of 06.00 pm officially given by the police. The demonstration ended with the arrest of 20 people. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
