KSPI Urges Government To Return Chinese TKA In Konawe

JAKARTA - The entry of Chinese foreign workers (TKA) to Indonesia, at a time when millions of people lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regretted the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal. He urged the government to repatriate Chinese foreign workers from the country.

Said Iqbal said that the arrival of the foreign workers hurt the sense of justice for local workers and the Indonesian people. Supposedly, the available employment opportunities were given entirely to Indonesian citizens. Moreover, currently there is a wave of mass layoffs (layoffs).

"In the midst of a pandemic and many workers who have lost their jobs, why are foreign workers allowed to work in Indonesia? Wouldn't it be better if the jobs were given to our own people," he said, in a written statement received by VOI, Monday, June 29.

KSPI asked the government to withdraw the foreign workers who had arrived in the first batch, as well as cancel the entry of the next 500 Chinese foreign workers. Moreover, students and the community have protested regarding the entry of the foreign workers.

Furthermore, Iqbal assessed that the reason for the entry of hundreds of foreign workers was because their expertise was needed, did not make sense. This is because PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry has been in Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi for a long time.

"This means that so far companies and the government have failed to meet the requirements that foreign workers working in Indonesia must be experts and make transfers of knowledge and transfer of jobs," he said.

In Law No. 13 of 2003 it has been mandated that every 1 foreign worker must be accompanied by 10 local workers. If all this time the foreign workers who work there are assisting local workers and there is a transfer of knowledge, then the existing work should be able to be done by local workers. So that there is no need to bring in foreign workers.

For KSPI, the entry of Chinese foreign workers to Konawe was a violation of the legal provisions governing the use of foreign workers.

"Another violation, the foreign workers should be able to speak Indonesian. Because they do not speak Indonesian, this will make it difficult to communicate, in order to transfer of knowledge," he said.

According to Said Iqbal, Indonesia has competent sons and daughters to fill the positions occupied by Chinese foreign workers. "I am not sure that graduates from UI, ITB, and well-known universities in Indonesia are unable to meet the skills needed there," he said.