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View all search resultsLabor movement’s future in question after Said Iqbal joins Prabowo administration
The appointment of labor leader Said Iqbal as special presidential advisor on employment and workers’ welfare has sparked concerns over possible state cooptation of labor movement in the country, prompting questions about the future of labor groups’ independence.
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Laborers carry banners on Friday as they hold a Labor Day commemoration protest outside the Senayan Legislative Complex in Jakarta. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
T
he appointment of labor leader Said Iqbal as special presidential advisor on employment and workers’ welfare has sparked concerns over possible state cooptation of the country’s labor movement, prompting questions about the future of labor groups’ independence.
Earlier this week, President Prabowo Subianto swore in Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) and chairman of the Labor Party, to the advisory post in a ceremony at the State Palace.
The appointment marked the second time Prabowo has brought a prominent labor figure into his administration, following the assignment of veteran labor activist Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat as environment minister in April.
It also came after labor-related protests over worker welfare took place earlier this year, from labor groups on May Day to a wide-ranging group of workers, including ojol (online motorcycle transport) drivers.
Said Iqbal’s appointment has since prompted concerns among observers that the government could be attempting to keep labor leaders closer to power to weaken labor movements, reducing pushback against future labor-related policies.
Labor and employment expert Triyono of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) cited similar fears among labor activists on the ground.
“The labor activists’ fear is cooptation of their labor movements,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. “It is only natural because, historically, trade unions in Indonesia have never been far removed from political interests.”
