Hundreds of Casual Workers of Langkat Nusantara Kepong Company Rally for their Rights
Posted by: Hotler Parsaoran and Benhidris Nainggolan from Indonesia Plantation Workers Union (SBPI)
Hundreds of casual workers of PT Langkat Nusantara Kepong (LNK) Gohor Lama and Tanjung Beringin Langkat, Tuesday (14/8), complained to the Regent and the Parliament Langkat because they do not get holiday allowances. With riding motorcycle, hundreds of casual workers who are members of Indonesia Plantation Workers’ Union went to the Regent in Stabat Langkat. In front of the gates of Regent’s office, they unfurled a poster that essentially, request that their employers pay for their holiday allowances.
Hundreds of casual workers conduct demonstration after their complaints to the labor department does not receive any response. Casual workers have been working since the company was still named PTPN II, up to then switch to PT LNK. Their working period ranging from 2 years to 13 years and until now, they never got a holiday allowances.“Give us holiday allowance. We already provide many benefits to the company, but the company never care about our condition. Soon the feast of Idul Fitri, we do not have the money to celebrate. In accordance with the Act, the company should give us a holiday allowances. Do not walk on us with the words”, the workers said.
Benhidris Nainggolan, secretary of the union said that the hundreds of casual workers has never received holiday allowances start their work until today. The company says they will not pay holiday allowances because the workers were not registered as the company worker.Soon, about 10 representatives of the workers received by Syaiful Abdi, the Head of Langkat Labor Department, for dialogue in the meeting room. After hearing and receiving complaints from workers Syaiful promised and requested tried calling the company to pay holiday allowances accordance with the provisions and rules apply.
Syaiful Abdi said, the workers must accept the holiday allowances according with the act. Therefore, Langkat Labor Department will call the company to pay workers according to the holiday allowances rules. “Because holiday allowances is a normative rights of workers, we will try to repay the company. Before the Idul Fitri, we will try to give them their right. If not paid, we will investigate the company to submitted to the court according to the rules, “said Syaiful.Workers asked that Langkat Labor Department not only rhetoric. “If our demands are not met, we will come back with a greater mass”, Benhidris Nainggolan said. Then, workers went to the Langkat Parliament office. Here, the workers just do oration and read the statement and submit it to the chairman of parliament were present to meet the workers.
Statement of Indonesia Plantation Workers Union (SBPI)
Indonesia plantation system in the Dutch colonial era is a system that oppresses the workers. The suppression is seen in the practice of buying and selling workers, where the plantation workers are only considered as a commodity to be bought and sold at cheap prices. Netherlands mobilized thousands of cheap labor from China, India and especially from Java to Sumatra plantations for later employed as contract coolies. Thousands of contract laborers are living in a space of oppression of the company and supported by the state. Low wages, torture, persecution, rape of women workers, lack of job security and health security are things that are faced by workers in that era.
Contract coolies system was applied at the Dutch colonial era is also happen at reformation era which the law legalizing outsourcing system and contract workers. The phenomenon of the increasing number of casual workers in the plantations and the proliferation of outsourcing agent is strong evidence of a compromise employers and the authorities to suppress the plantation workers.Such a situation occurs in PT Langkat Nusantara Kepong Gohor Lama and PT LNK Tanjung Beringin where the workers had worked at start of the company is still named PTPN II until then switch to PT LNK. Hundreds of casual workers in this company has had years of service from 2 to 13 years.
Hundreds of these casual workers work with low wages without a clear working relationship with the company. In addition, the company had never provided free work equipment and protective gear work to the workers. During work, they never receive holiday allowances in accordance with labor regulations. Casual workers who are members of Indonesian plantation workers union has been making various efforts so that their basic rights be met by the company. However, until today there is no good faith of the company to meet them. So, now, we from national executive agency of Indonesia Plantation Workers Unions together with casual workers of PT LNK demand :
- Langkat Regent urges company PT LNK to immediately provide holiday allowances to all casual workers
- PT LNK immediately raised casual workers become permanent workers
- Langkat labor department immediately investigate the alleged criminal acts by PT LNK
- PT LNK provide free work equipment and protective gear for the workers
- Government arrest and punish the actors that make the practice of outsourcing in the PT LNK