Dear Friends,
Sep 2002, At the end of August we sent around an appeal to take action in the case of two labor rights activists who were shot during a demonstration in Indonesia. The demonstration was in opposition to two draft labor laws -- the Industrial Dispute Settlement Act (PPHI) and the Labour Protection and Development Act (PPK). Please find below more information on these laws, supplied by the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI). Also included is a request to support a nationwide demonstration against these laws to be held today. Please take a few minutes to send a message protesting these proposed laws to the embassy in your country, as well as a solidarity message to labor rights activists in Indonesia. For contact information for Indonesian embassies worldwide, please see the list posted at < http://www.indonesia.nl> (some addresses are included here)

The following information was supplied by the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI), distributed by International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development and the Nikewatch campaign.

BACKGROUND ON THE PROPOSED LABOR LAWS

September 9, 2002 -- At the end of this month the government of Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-President Hamzah Haz together with the People Representative Assembly plan to ratify two draft laws on labour called the Industrial Dispute Settlement Act (PPHI) and the Labour Protection and Development Act (PPK). Rather than improving conditions for Indonesian workers this legislation will legalise repression and violations of workers' rights.

The new labor laws will result in:

1. Eliminating job security through legalising and lengthening the labour contract systems.
2. Releasing the Indonesian government from responsibility to protect workers. The government will no longer be involved in the resolution of conflicts between workers and employers. Instead it will authorise employers to resolve the problem as they see fit. As workers are in a far weaker bargaining position in relation to employers this will mean that employers will win and the exploitation and repression of workers will continue.
3. Abolishing workers' right to strike a basic right and means of struggle for workers making it a criminal act. Workers who go on strike may be jailed for six months and fined 10-50 million rupiah.
4. Reduce labour issues to "industrial problems" and ignore the broader issues. Worker's problems are not just based upon the day-to-day problems in the work-place but are closely linked to government policy and pressure from international financial institutions. Workers will be forced to adhere to government policy.
5. Prevent trade unions from defending workers rights. Trade unions will no longer be authorised to defend workers and cases will instead be defended by advocates.
6. Eliminate maternal and menstruation leave which are a basic right of workers.
7. Discriminate against trainees who will only receive 80 per cent of a full wage while producing the same amount of goods and working for the same length of time as regular workers.

REQUEST FOR ACTION

There have been massive protest in Jakarta over the past two months. Many different trade unions have been involved in the protests. Trade unions and other pro-democratic organizations have established alliances as way to strengthen the movement. The FNPBI and 20 other trade unions and democratic organisations have established the Committee Against Worker Oppression (KAPB). KAPB has been established at a regional and district level and will actively struggle to oppose these laws.

On August 19, 30,000 workers in Bandung, West Java, poured on to the street to protest the laws. They marched from three industrial regions in west Java to gather at regional branch of People Representative Assembly. Police attacked the protesting workers arresting 37 shooting two. On August 21, workers begun organizing more protests as well as demanding to release of those who had been detained. Police responded by again attacking protestors and arresting five. On August 23 there were more protests and three more were arrested. Although most have now been released three remain in jail.

In response to the mass demonstrations the government plans to ratify the laws as soon as possible.

But resistance by workers will not stop - rather it will give more courage to workers. KAPB is calling for a national wide demonstration on September 16 and 24.

Indonesia workers desperately need your support to obtain the release those detained and to prevent the new labour laws coming into force. Send statements and organise solidarity actions in front Indonesian Embassies in your country. You can also help financially to support the legal cost of the detained workers and other campaign expenses.

Please send statements of support to:
Katarina Puji Astuti
International secretary
FNPBI
Jl Rawajati Timur 2 No. 8
Kalibata
Jakarta Selatan
Indonesia
Email: <dpp_fnpbi@telkom.net<; <katarina_fnpbi@yahoo.com>.
Phone: 62-21-7995917

Indonesian missions in Europe and Asia (excerpt)

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Austria and
accredited to the Republic of Slovenia and Permanent Mission of the
Republic of Indonesia tothe UN, IAEA, and UNIDO
Address : Gustav Tschermak - gasse 5-7
A - 1180 - Wien, Austria
Phone : (0043-1) 479-0537, 479-0538, 479-0539 Fax : (0043-1) 479-0557
E-mail : kbriwina@xpoint.at

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Belgium and
accredited to Luxembourg
Address : 294 Avenue de Tervueren
1150 Bruxelles, Belgium
Phone : (0032-2) 771-2014, 771-1776, 771-2666, 771-3347, 771-5060
Fax : (0032-2) 771-2291, 772-6350
E-mail : kbribxl@brutele.be Website: http://www.homeusers.brutele.be/kbribxl

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Bulgaria
Address : 53, Simeonovsko Shosse Residence No. 4
Sofia 1164, Republic of Bulgaria
Phone : (359-2)962-5240, 962-6170, 683-220 Fax : (359-2) 962-4418, 962-5842
E-mail : indosof@geobiz.net

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Republic of France and accredited
to Andorra
Address : 47-49 Rue Cortambert
75116 Paris, France
Phone : (0033-1) 4503-0760 Fax : (0033-1) 4504-5032
E-mail : komparis@online.fr Website: http://www.amb-indonesie.fr

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federal Republic of Germany
Address : Lehrter Strasse 16-17
10557 Berlin, Germany
Phone : (0049-30)478-070 Fax : (0049-30) 4473-7142
E-mail : KBRIBERLIN@T-ONLINE.DE Website: www.kbri-berlin.org

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Republic of Greece
Address : 99, Marathonodromon Street, 154.52 Paleo Psychico
Athens, Greece
Phone : (30-1) 677-4692, 674-2345, 674-6418 Fax : (30-1) 675-6955
E-mail : Indathgr@hol.gr

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Italy and
accredited to the Republic of Malta and the Republic of Albania
Address : Via Campania 53-55
00187 Roma, Italy
Phone : (39-06) 420-0911 Fax : (39-06) 488-0280
E-mail : indonrom@box1.tin.it

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Address : Tobias Asserlaan 8, 2517 KC, Den Haag
The Netherlands
Phone : (070) 310-8100, 310-8177 Fax : (070) 364-3331
Website : http://www.indonesia.nl

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Portugal
Address : Rua Miguel Lupi 12 Piso 1, Fregueza de Lapa
1200Lisboa Portugal
Phone : (351-21) 393-2070 Fax : (351-21) 393-2079
E-mail : kbrililsabon@go.com

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Spain
Address : Calle de Agastia No. 65
28043 Madrid,Spain
Phone : (34-91) 413-0294, 413-0394, 413-0594, 413-0794 Fax : (34-91) 413-8994
E-mail : kbrimadrid@cempresarial.com

Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Barcelona, Spain
Address : Calle Pau Claris Nr.173, 2-2 A
08037 Barcelona, Spain
Phone : (34-93) 487-6884 Fax : (34-93) 216-0403

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Sweden and
accredited to the Republic of Latvia
Address :Sysslomansgatan No. 18 / I
P.O. Box 12520 S - 11241 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone : (46-8) 650-4470, 650-4524 Fax : (46-8) 650-8750
E-mail : kbri@indonesiskaambassaden.se
Website : http://www.indonesiskambassaden.se

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Swiss Confederation and
accredited to the Republic of Liechtenstein
Address :Elfenauweg 51, 3006 Bern, Swiss
Phone : (031) 352-0983 to 85 Fax : (031) 351-6765
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Kingdom and accredited
to Ireland
Address :38, Grosvenor Square, London W1 K 2HW
United Kingdom
Phone : (44-20) 7449-7661 Fax : (44-20) 7491-4993
Website : http://www.indonesianembassy.org.uk

Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesiato the Special Administrative
Region of Hong Kong
Address : 127 - 129 Leighton Road, 6-8 Keswick Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Phone : (852) 2890-4421 to 8 Fax : (852) 2895-0139
E-mail : kukhk@hk.linkage.net Website: http://www.kjrihkg.org.hk

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Republic of India
Address : 50-A, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110021, India
Phone : (91-11) 611-2342, 611-8646 Fax : (91-11) 687-4402, 688-6763
E-mail : indonbi@arcc.or.ke

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Korea
Address : 55, Youido-Dong, Youngdeungpo-ku
Seoul, Republic Korea, (Post Code 150-010)
Phone : (02) 783-5675 to 77, 783-5371 to 72 Fax : (02) 780-4280

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Malaysia
Address : No. 233, Jalan Tun Razak
P.O. Box. 10889 MALAYSIA, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone : (603) 242-2354, 242-1151, 241-5228, 241-1421, 243-1572, 245-2011
Fax : (603) 241-7908, 242-3878, 241-0737
E-mail : kbrikl@po.jaring.my Website: http://www.kbrikl.org.my/

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Thailand
Address : 600-602 Petchburi Road, Phyathai
Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Phone : (66-2) 252-3135 to 40, 252-3177 to 78, 252-3180
Fax : (66-2) 255-1267
E-mail : kukbkk@ksell.th.com