The Statement of the Central Board of GSBI Concerning the divisive politics of Jokowi against labor movement

The statement of  the Central Board of GSBI  (Center of Indonesian Labor Struggle)
Concerning the divisive politics of Jokowi against labor movement and Criticize the statement by the Chairperson of KSPI and KSPSI for their support of the Jokowi Government in oppressing and blackmailing the Indonesian labor class


After the final results of the 2019 presidential election marked by the victory of Joko Widodo-Ma'ruf and the defeat in the Prabowo-Sandi camp, the process of consolidation of power has strengthened in Jokowi's camp, including meetings and political concessions between Jokowi and Prabowo. The process of "peace" between the two camps bring the same "peace" consequences in the ranks of its subordinates, which teaches to the people of Indonesia that such is the politics of the bourgeoisie and the  power sharing between them can be easily resolved. They are all the same. While the people remain the object of oppression and exploitation of the economic, political, and cultural systems under the new puppet regime, Jokowi-Ma'ruf, under the US-led imperialist dictation.

A series of meetings between President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and the two major trade union leaders, namely President of the Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI) Andi Gani and President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal, since from the end of April (pre-Mayday) to September 30' 2019 in Bogor Presidential Palace, is an embodiment of the "surrender of fate" the fate of the working class at the hands of President Jokowi, and  as a divisive effort against the Indonesian working class. The meeting reflected Jokowi's control over the labor movement by claimed to embrace the two biggest trade union Confederation leaders with the promotion of a program as if it were "pro-laborers" who were actually anti-laborers.

The meeting between the two trade union confederations at the Bogor palace with Jokowi was the legitimacy of the support of the two trade unions for the five years of Jokowi's administration which proved to be a total failure in protecting and prospering Indonesian workers, even  the opposite "gave birth" to the worst policy in labor history in Indonesia. And labor policies will be even worse and foul in the second period of Jokowi's administration  in the next five years.

Based on statements at the Bogor Palace, both agreed to support Jokowi's agenda on a good investment climate (both for imperialists, comprador bourgeoisie and landlords) and employment issues that could support these investments (in order to increase the exploitation of Indonesian workers) according to the government's strategic plan namely the Package Jokowi's Economic Policy. The two leaders requested that Jokowi do not revise Labor Law No.13 of 2003 which makes it more oriented to harm workers, asking for revision of PP No. 78 of 2015, and refused to dues increase of BPJS Health (BPJS - Indonesia's social and healthcare Insurance), especially class III. They were also one voice who accused  there was stowaways  in recent student actions for inconstitutional purposes that is stated at the Press Conference on September 25, 2019.

In fact, the two union leaders are clearly President Jokowi's spokespersons, on behalf of the working class for the interests of the Jokowi government and legitimizing imperialist dictation plans in the next 5 years. They are President Jokowi's right hand in suppressing the true aspirations and struggles of the working class who want changes in economic, political and cultural aspects. They begged for mercy on the power of the Jokowi government in order to make a difference and fulfill the aspirations of the workers. Obviously, that is nonsense and betrayed Indonesian workers who during the five years of their life  increasingly degenerate under the Jokowi government. The Indonesian labor class has the right to speak out and have the right to know firsthand, what should be the fate of workers in the next five years.

The labor exploitated and oppression program Under Jokowi's Power

During the first 5 years of power, President Jokowi campaigned for the Three Decent Program (decent wages, decent work, decent living) for the fake improvement of the working class's livelihoods. In the presidential election campaign 2019-2024, Jokowi did not talk about the main problem except promised to revise PP No. 78 of 2015 concerning Wages, building more low-cost housing, promoting the Employment Card for senior  high school graduates and victims of layoffs, promoting the Basic Needs Card.

This program wants to be run on a semi-colonial and semi-feudal social system that has the characteristics of an backward industry that is impossible to give the Three Decent to the workers. The characteristics of industry in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country like in Indonesia are:

• To depend on investment and foreign capital
• Only relies on the assembling industry and does not have an basic industry and heavy industry that independent so that it can produce machinery, basic chemicals and semi-conductors so that Indonesia relies heavily on imports of raw materials and machinery.
• Relying on light industry (sub-priming)
• Semi-processing industry
• Export-oriented industry

There are three main problems faced by workers during Jokowi's rule, namely: First, the worst wage policy so that labor wages are very low. Second, labor market flexibility, which aims to keep labor wage stay cheap. Third, the right to association, strike, and negotiate which is increasingly restricted from time to time with the aim of increasing the exploitation through theft of surplus value.

Five years in power, Jokowi attacked workers with PP No. 78 of 2015 concerning wage formulas as implementation of the Economic Policy Package. As a result, the increase in labor wages is always below 10 percent every year, while rising prices continue to skyrocket so that the level of  value real wages  stay low, and the wage deficit getting sharply cannot reach the minimum living needs of workers and their families.  Meanwhile, the government  continues to serve and provide convenience for large capital owners, namely drastic tax cuts and other costs deemed to hinder investment, provide ease of licensing for investment, power subsidies and other special supporting facilities.

Government Regulation No. 78 of 2015 concerning wages has suppressed workers' democratic rights which have made the suffering getting worse and longer due to the application of low wages, destroying the role of trade unions and wage councils from the central to the city/district level. The role of the wage council to negotiate and fight for a better minimum wage is eliminated by the government. No more space is opened for workers to fight for their true aspirations. The Jokowi government also allowed the ease of implementing short-term contract work and outsourcing systems that did not provide job security and wage guarantees.

That is, the Three Decent program is only a "weasel words".  the duping  and  biggest hoax about welfare and protection for the working class. Facts show that many workers work in the core part of production with the status of short-term contracts with low wages, whereas Labor law No.13 of 2003 prohibits companies to employing workers with contract system in the core part of production. Likewise, the government also issued rules on internship,  by Regulation of Ministery of Manpower No. 36 of 2016 concerning the Implementation of Internship, which legalizes the practice of employing workers with wages below the Minimum Wage provisions in the City/District  applicable in the workplace.

The political rights of workers increasingly oppressed during Jokowi's reign by restricting mass activities in the industrial area which was included in the OVNI (National Vital Objects). In the era of his reign, there were adds 64 companies and 15 industrial estates added to OVNI in 2016, in 2018 there were an additional 8 companies and 4 industrial estates which legalized by the issuance of Government Regulation No. 2 of 2017 concerning the Development of Industrial Facilities and Infrastructure as improvements to KEPPRES (Presidential Decree) NO. 63 of 2004 concerning National Vital Objects. The presence of OVNI has made the police and TNI intimidation and intervention space  to the workers more and more strongger in negotiations, strikes at factory, and increasing repressive against strikes and labor mobilization for mass actions in industrial areas.

Jokowi's divisive politics  against labor and people movement

Clearly, Jokowi's government is unconstitutional (not in accordance with the constitution) because it does not implement the 1945 Constitution, especially Article 28 concerning the right to life and obtain economic justice. The Jokowi government, made workers continue to receive low wages, continued to be bound by a short-term contract system, repressed by the police force if it went on strike, intervened in every negotiation, and was always threatened with layoffs. Jokowi's government makes the prices of needs continue to skyrocket up, not to mention the planned increase in BPJS dues, electricity costs, cigarette excise, so that people  began to rise up and fight in everywhere.

Therefore, it is not appropriate if the two trade union leaders accused there of stowaways in student mass actions. Why don't they ask WHO IS STOWAWAYS ? in behind the plan of revised Labor law, low wage policies, rising BPJS dues, rising prices for basic necessities, the Land Bill, and all the rules and regulations that have been issued that have brought misery to the people!

Why don't they question the IMF, the World Bank, and financial capital institutions that fund the existence of laws and regulations that facilitate land grabbing, preserve land monopolies in backward  farming systems that make forest and land fires by plantation corporations, rob natural resources Indonesia including the land of Papua. Why don't they question the  problem roots of  state violence against the Papuan people  and the breaking up of the people in the land of Papua, and the stowaways who make huge profits fill their coffers from land grabbing and exploitation of the Papuan people!

Obviously, the two leaders of the trade union confederation became an extension of the ruling Jokowi regime so that it is not exemplary and followed by the Indonesian working class.

The stated and Demands of GSBI:

Based on the oppression and exploitation that has long been experienced by the working class as part of the oppressed and exploited Indonesian people, we on behalf of GSBI, the Center of Indonesian  Labor Struggle, censure the divisive actions of workers by the Joko Widodo government, and reject the claims of the two trade union leaders represent the majority of the workers because they do not represent the democratic outlook and aspirations of the majority of the working class unless they only represent the false reformism of the puppet unions which harms and divides the Indonesian working class.

Therefore, we GSBI who represent the Indonesian working class are demanding that the central government:

1. Stop the divisive  against of laborers with fake  programs "pro-workers" and which do not match the true aspirations of the working class!
2. Reject the revision of the Labor Law No. 13 of 2003 which intensifies wage grabbing, labor flexibility, limiting the right to association, strike and negotiate!
3. Revoke and cancelled  PP No. 78 of 2015 and NOT A REVISION!!
4. Cancelled the increasing  plan of  hundred percent  the dues of BPJS Health without conditions in all classes!
5. Immediately increased labor wages and and lower prices!
6. Immediately extinguish forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, and save and evacuation the victims of the Haze! Cancel the HGU  (Cultivation Rights) and stop the extension of licenses of large plantation companies that are arsonist!
7. Arrest and penalize the owner of the big plantation company who is the  arsonist and granting of HGU (Cultivation Rights) for the large plantation! Free the peasants who was arrested and stop arresting peasants!
8. Stop the violence against the Papuan people and the divisive  political against the Papuan people!  Stop adding TNI-POLRI troops and withdraw immediately due it makes the Papuan people more miserable!
9. Fullfil the demands of the Papuan people regarding the right to Self determination as the way for the Papuan people  to determine the future independently and according to their aspirations!
10. Run a genuine landreform and build national industry!


Jakarta, October 04, 2019
Central Board of GSBI The Center of Indonesia Labor Struggle.