Official statement

Jakarta – The Alliance of Independent Journalists in Jakarta (AJI Jakarta) strongly criticizes CNN Indonesia as the media corporation abruptly cuts off 9 journalists a few hours after the declaration of Workers Solidarity CNN Indonesia or Solidaritas Pekerja CNN Indonesia (SPCI) on Saturday, 31 August 2024. SPCI, officially established on 27 August 2024, is the first labor union of the Transmedia group owned by Chairul Tanjung.

AJI Jakarta also highlighted that workers’ unions are protected under the 2000 Law on Trade Union, so all types of union busting can be categorized as criminal acts.

Article 28 of the Trade Union Law reads: “Anyone is prohibited from obstructing or forcing workers/laborers to form or not form, become committees or not become committees, become members or not become members and/or carry out or not carry out the activities of a trade/labor union by :
a. terminate employment relations, lay off temporarily, demote positions, or carry out transfers;
b. not paying or reducing the wages of workers/laborers;
c. carry out intimidation in any form;
d. carry out a campaign against the formation of trade unions.”

Meanwhile, Article 43 of the same regulation reads: “(1) Anyone who obstructs or coerces workers/laborers as intended in Article 28, shall be subject to imprisonment for a minimum of 1 (one) year and a maximum of 5 (five) years and/or a fine of at least Rp 100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiah) and a maximum of Rp 500,000,000.00 (five hundred million rupiah). (2) The criminal act as intended in paragraph (1) is a criminal act.”

For AJI Jakarta, establishing a labor union is a strategic step for CNN Indonesia employees to fight for fair and decent workers’ rights. Currently, CNN Indonesia workers are experiencing unilateral wage cuts by management. It has been going on for three months.

The trade union is a human right protected under the 1945 Constitution, the Human Rights Law and the 2000 Law on Trade Union.

Freedom of association is also guaranteed by the International Labor Organization (ILO) convention Number 87 of 1948 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize and ILO convention Number 98 of 1949 concerning the Right to Association and Collective Bargaining. Indonesia has ratified both ILO conventions.

Hence, AJI Jakarta’s position on current potential union busting of SCPI :

1. Urge CNN Indonesia management to stop union busting by withdrawing letters of termination of employment to employees who are SPCI administrators

2. Urge CNN Indonesia management to stop unilaterally cutting wages for all employees.

3. Urge the Ministry of Labor and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Labor Agency to monitor potential labor violations and criminal acts at CNN Indonesia.

4. Urge the Press Council to review the verification of CNN Indonesia.

5. Encourage the establishment of labor unions in other media companies as an effort to protect employee rights.

Chairman AJI Jakarta
Irsyan Hasyim

Head of Labor Division AJI Jakarta
Caesar Akbar

Contact :

AJI Jakarta
https://wa.me/6281935007007