THE DYNAMICS OF LABORS’ COVERAGE IN INDONESIA

REPORTS FROM IMMC’S MEDIA MONITORING RESULTS 27 April 2011 – 27 April 2012

Background Labor’s Day or so-called May Day celebrated annually on May 1, always become the moment to prospering all labors. In Indonesia, it is marked by a series of large scale protest by the workers, with various agenda, such as demanding the government to remove outsourcing, granting social security, as well as demanding a better wages. Beyond all those racket on Labor’s Day, issues related to workers over the last year is worth observing. The existence of large scale protest, demanding for raising UMK and marked by highway blockade in Jakarta has become the most attention drawing matter. In addition, the ratification about international convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families are expected to become a strong legal framework for the government to further protect it’s citizens who work abroad. Media monitoring conducted by IMMC on labor’s issues was made to welcome the commemoration of Labor’s Day as an effort to capture the dynamics of labor unions in the last year alone.

Study are conducted by using purposive sampling method on the well known online media, specifically detik.com, okezone.com and rakyatmerdekaonline.com. Data collection was conducted from 27 April 2011 – 27 April Data collection techniques used are collect, categorize and analyze all coverage (content analysis) about labor issues. METHODS

Total Coverage MediaTotal Detik.com321 Rakyatmerdekaonline.com263 Okezone313 Total897

Dynamic Issues Coverage about workers in January 2012 are rapidly increasing due to protest from Bekasi, Tangerang workers that demanded a raise for UMK by blocking the highway. In February and March 2012, workers held another protest against fuel price raising. In April 2012, labor issues that arise were May Day issues, Migrant Workers (TKI and organ trade), housing for workers and legalization of migrant workers protection law.

News Placement Labor issues in Detik.com and Oke Zone are heavily covered as the main focus in their coverage. Meanwhile, at Rakyat Merdeka, news placement on labor issues are usually placed on other topics.

News Tone Mostly, the media always covered everything about labors in neutral tone. But, in comparison from positive to negative tone, most of them are negative. The reason media sees the labors’ protest in negative way is because how most of them act in the protest, which usually deviate from rules and harming others’ interest. Language usage in the coverage tends to be provocative towards those acts, further strengthen the fact that labor’s act left a negative impression on society.

Top 10 Labor Issues Issues about labor’s protest have received the biggest spotlight throughout the past year in as many as 522 coverage. Other issues related when they try to delivered the messages are demanding in wage increase in 266 coverage, about workers welfare in 116 coverage, refusal for increasing fuel price in 116 coverage and about outsourcing in 27 coverage. As for issues about labor mediation were about 62 coverage, about BPJS in 49 coverage, related to the role of Parliament in 36 coverage, talking about labor rights in 32 coverage and treatment to workers (talking about violence against worker) in as much as 30 coverage.

Top 10 Labor Issues (Detik) Labor issues that are mostly covered by Detik.com are about labors’ protest. Evidently, issues about outsourcing and facilities for workers like home for labors are the most highlighted news by Detik.com.

Top 10 Labor Issues (RM) Rakyat Merdeka also covered a lot about labors’ protest. Issues about regulation and policies related to labors are also reported quite often by Rakyat Merdeka. Rakyat Merdeka also covered a lot about Parliaments’ role in defending labors’ rights.

Top 10 Labor Issues (Okezone) Labors’ protest are the mostly covered issues by Oke Zone. Other issues are about labors’ rights like wages, welfare and labors’ health. Oke Zone are usually more intense in paying attention about migrant workers and labor mediation if compared to other medias.

Protest Location The most covered for issues about labors’ protest are in Java like Jakarta, West Java, Banten and North Java. Media’s exposed against protest outside Java are still low. Nonetheless, domination of these three regions as an industrial area (Jakarta, West Java and Banten) has turned the region into a running wheel for labors protest in Indonesia.

Labors Protest Pattern Pattern for labors’ protest by blockading public facilities has become a new trend for all labors to expressed their aspiration rather than visiting the Government, Parliament / Council or other strategic locations. Peaceful protest are considered less effective in expressing their aspirations and it’s very rare to see labors’ protest in a peaceful manner. On the other hand, this proved to be very ‘effective’ for the workers, but was considered as a threat to the investors and security stability.

Demands in Labors’ Protest The most demanded from labors are about wages and welfare. This suggest that worker’s wage that guarantees their welfare are still low. Refusing for increasing fuel price are also demanded in their protest, that is when there is a plan from the government to raise the fuel price. All workers considered that the increasing fuel price can keep them away from welfare due to increasing prices and threat of getting fired. Until now, rejection for outsourcing is still frequently expressed by the workers in the protest, because it is considered harmful for the labors.

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