The Prosperous Justice Party, which won most votes in Jakarta in the April 5 2004 parliamentary election, is working for free elementary school education in the capital city.
"Eliminating school fees at the elementary level will be our first objective during the deliberation of the 2005 city budget because it directly impacts people" said PKS Jakarta branch chairman Heryawan. He said if the budget is adequate, junior high school students must also get free education by 2006.
Indonesia lags behind its South-East Asian neighbours in education, hampering efforts to lift millions of people out of poverty. Elementary education is theoretically free already but school imposes a wide variety of extra charges on parents.
Biological Role Protection in Indonesia
Though almost five years ILO has adopted maternity protection convention, however government has not ratified it up to now. Nevertheless a number of regulations and laws explicity manage some efforts to protect the function of reproduction health of women worker from disturbance that can influence physically and psychologically, as well as Law No.3 year of 1992,Governmental Regulation (PP) No.4year of 1995,and Regulation of Labor Ministry No.2 year of 1984 and No. 6 year of 1985.
Unfortunately, the Governmental Regulation and the laws has lack of obtaining sufficient concerns and follow up from entrepreneurs and even government itself. Moreover, a lot of women worker has not even know they do not care their rights in reproduction health.
The research result held by Mahendra Wijaya and friends suggested that about 80% companies do not have company regulation and collective bargaining. Whereas, through collective bargaining industrial relationship principle to reach worker welfare and the productivity increase can be done.
In collective bargaining, it is contained rights and obligation for either company and worker, and this are practical guidance to create protection of work safety and health. About 88.5% companies do not have work unit of worker union of Indonesia which can struggle worker rights, and about 77.1 % do not have work force insurance and work force social guarantee.
Hence, women workers do not have power to form sufficient reproduction protection. Moreover the mostly part of them only have final education at elementary and junior high school, so that their position and bargaining powers are low.
In such circumstances, it is necessary a pressure from either government or workers union so that the regulation of reproduction health protection of women workers can be implemented sufficiently. And it should be an achieving of benefit as big as possible for the company by not sacrificing its worker but using respect to their humanity dignity.
The Quake and Tsunami at Bandar Aceh, Indonesia
The Education International provides financial assistance to family of union members who have died, to members who have lost their jobs or their houses or whose houses have been severely damaged.
PGRI (Association of Indonesian Teachers): PGRI had 50592 members in the province of Naggroe Aceh Darulsalam.The education department of the province has reported that 1,532 teachers out of the 1,699 civil servants from the education department were killed or missing.This figure concerns 10 out of 13 badly affected districts.The number of teachers and civil servants killed is expected to further increase. More than 750 school buildings have been destroyed. PGRI has been collecting funds from its members all over the Indonesia and will be donating to PGRI members in
Aceh. Apart from helping rebuild teachers' homes and schools, assistance is necessary to help teachers and children who are traumatized. The federal government has flown -in teacher trainees from neighboring provinces to teach in the refugee camps.
Global Union Mission
On 17-18 January 2005, a mission consists of representatives of ICFTU and Global Union Federations including Education International Secretary General - Mr. Fred van Leeuwen visited Bandar Aceh to show their support and solidarity and to get information and data.
The Global Unions indicated that they would want to assist workers and unions to enable them to get back on their feet.
Assistance Global, National and Local Unions and Other Organizations Can Undertake
i. Immediate Humanitarian Aid.
ii. Assistance to rebuild workers, teachers and children in overcoming their trauma.
iii. Provide workers with material/legal/assistance.
iv. Rebuild schools which are completely and partially damaged society can continue their education.
v. Establish a Workers' Center where workers can seek assistance and advice.
vi. Provide training to create trade union awareness, leadership, health and safety and assist in establishing new unions/associations/cooperatives for fishermen, agriculture, construction, wood workers, etc.
