Pity! Fear Of Losing Wages, Workers Are Forced To Stay In Work Even Though Positive For COVID-19

A number of workers took selfies with the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi). (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The number of COVID-19 cases in the country has continued to increase in recent times. However, ironically, a number of workers in Indonesia are said to be forced to continue to work even though they are exposed to or positive for COVID-19.

Chairman of the Federation of Indonesian Union Labor Unions (FSBPI) Dian Septi Trisnanti said that currently many companies are changing their workers' status to contract or piece workers. With the change in status, wages for workers are made in accordance with their daily work attendance.

Furthermore, Dian said that if they did not come to work they were worried that they would not get paid. Because of this condition, the workers are forcing themselves to continue working even though they are already positive for COVID-19.

"Contract and wholesale workers will be forced to continue working, even though they are sick, for fear of losing their wages. The factory cluster is very aggressive, TGSL workers (textiles, garments, shoes, and leather), in just two weeks in Cakung, Tangerang, Subang, and Solo thousands of our members are exposed," he said in a virtual press conference, Monday, July 19.

Can't get paid

On the same occasion, General Chairperson of the Federation of Textile, Clothing and Leather Workers' Unions Confederation of All-Indonesian Workers' Unions (FSP TSK-KSPSI) Helmy Salim said that there was already a lot of evidence from reports of workers in the field who claimed that if they had to self-isolate at home they would not get wage.

"This is a fact like that, so indeed they tend to choose to go in. They take the risk of going in even though they are sick, yet they think the symptoms are not too much," said Helmy.

Furthermore, Helmy said that this caused workers to be determined to continue working even though they were in a positive condition for COVID-19 because of concerns.

"First of all, the motivation for workers to come to work is because they are afraid that they won't get paid. That's true. Many of them are laid off without wages. So there is a concern that even if they don't come, the wages will be paid or not? There is no certainty about that," he said.

According to Helmy, workers will not dare to go to work if they are positive for COVID-19 with severe symptoms.

"Unless there are symptoms of fever and cough, you really can't enter. Only a suspect, for example, he keeps coming in. After many examples at the company, many friends were laid off without pay," he said.

Helmy admitted that there are indeed a number of companies that provide health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic like now to workers. However, not all companies provide this to workers.

Meanwhile, the Head of Foreign Affairs of FSP TSK KSPI, Dion Untung Wijaya, alluded to the rules in the Omnibus Law on Job Creation which forced workers to continue working in unhealthy conditions.

Dion said, in the law many workers were laid off and then given severance pay and only served as freelance daily.

"With a status like that, even though they are exposed, they still force themselves to keep working because if they don't work with that status, they don't get paid," he said.

Therefore, Dion hopes that this problem can be resolved. Especially the government in this case can pay more attention to the existing problems.

"So here the government's role is to be balanced to jointly overcome this pandemic. The company must also pay attention to its employees who are exposed, the workplace, the procedures are tightened, the provision of hand washing facilities, distribution of vitamins, and workplace arrangements. It must also be carried out by all by the company, don't be like it is now," he said.