Labor Day, May 1, 2007
The issue of labor welfare is one of the most depressing for me. I first learned of labor welfare issues when I researched for an undergrad paper, oh about 15 years ago (!) The late 80s through early 90s was a watershed in labor's enhanced awareness of rights in Indonesia. Labor contributed to the rise of Indonesian manufacturing sector, the growth earned us the honor of being one of the Asian tigers. Bah!
Labor's awareness of their rights and importance was awarded with crushing repression, the stomping boots of the Army, and the torture chambers of a dictatorial regime. Labor movement leaders regularly went missing. The situation worsened until the late 90's, when the labor movement contributed to the ousting of a dictator.
More than a decade later, labor reform is again meeting the stomping boots and crushing repression, but this time, it is of indifference. Laborers' plight is so hopeless, that I do not even have the heart to think about it. Theirs is a hard life--worsening terms of trade, increasing living costs, lack of assets and access to land and natural resources, the wall of bureacratic red tape and rent seeking, apathic parliamentary representative, opportunistic labor leaders, abandonment by academics, and competition from abroad.
I met Vietnamese colleagues a few months ago, and we compared minimum wage situations (yes, that's what we do in our spare time, for fun. geez). The Vietnamese minimum wage is a third of our average, reflecting to some extent their low living costs. We don't have a chance, not the way things are going.
Laborers of the world, I send you love. Be at peace. May God keep you safe.
Labor's awareness of their rights and importance was awarded with crushing repression, the stomping boots of the Army, and the torture chambers of a dictatorial regime. Labor movement leaders regularly went missing. The situation worsened until the late 90's, when the labor movement contributed to the ousting of a dictator.
More than a decade later, labor reform is again meeting the stomping boots and crushing repression, but this time, it is of indifference. Laborers' plight is so hopeless, that I do not even have the heart to think about it. Theirs is a hard life--worsening terms of trade, increasing living costs, lack of assets and access to land and natural resources, the wall of bureacratic red tape and rent seeking, apathic parliamentary representative, opportunistic labor leaders, abandonment by academics, and competition from abroad.
I met Vietnamese colleagues a few months ago, and we compared minimum wage situations (yes, that's what we do in our spare time, for fun. geez). The Vietnamese minimum wage is a third of our average, reflecting to some extent their low living costs. We don't have a chance, not the way things are going.
Laborers of the world, I send you love. Be at peace. May God keep you safe.
posted by fantarara at 7:13 PM
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