Jakarta – The country's laborers will likely face another difficult period throughout the next five years as none of the presidential candidates or political parties represent their interests, a discussion concluded in Jakarta on Monday.

The director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), Asfinawati, said even though the winning political parties and presidential candidates had repeatedly pledged to treat businessmen and workers equally in their campaigns, it would not eventuate in any significant benefits for laborers.

"A promise to treat businessmen and workers equally is definitely a misleading concept. How can a worker on a low salary have the bargaining power to protest against their boss' decision?" she said. "Laborers will always require government assistance to protect their rights and welfare."

Sastro, the national coordinator of the Indonesian Alliance for the Defence of Laborers (ABM), said many parties and presidential candidates had only feigned support for laborers in an attempt to attract voters.

"Many legislative and presidential candidates have suddenly begun acting like labor activists in their campaigns. They have lured workers with a promise to fight for their rights so that they can earn a better living," Sastro said.

"But as we have seen following the elections, the candidates have forgotten these promises and are busy making political coalitions," he said.

With the global financial crisis continuing to make its impact felt this year, Sastro and Asfinawati predicted the upcoming administration would almost likely issue more pro-business policies at the expense of laborers as business and political interests become increasingly inseparable.

"Given this situation, it is now more urgent for the labor unions and the press to intensively observe how the upcoming administration treats business owners and workers," Sastro said, citing an example of a massive labor protest against a joint ministerial decree released last year.

The decree, which was issued by the minister of manpower and transmigration, the home minister, the trade minister and the industry minister on Oct. 22, 2008, stipulates that monthly minimum wages are to be set by companies through an arrangement by employers and workers, and fixed based on economic growth in the respective regions.

The latest data from the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration recorded that more than 44,000 workers were laid off in the period from last November to March 2009. Without any indication of employment improving this year, similar mass layoffs could continue throughout the entire year.

Since no labor-based party won the parliamentary threshold of 2.5 percent of votes, Max Lane, an Australian labor observer who spoke at the discussion, urged Indonesian activists to establish a labor-based media to keep their ideas alive. (hwa)