Indonesian Labor Unions Protest Import of Chinese Workers

Indonesia’s decision to bring in hundreds of Chinese workers for multi-billion dollar nickel and stainless steel projects amid the coronavirus pandemic has drawn the ire of local workers, with a national labor union calling for their repatriation to save domestic jobs.

The arrival of Chinese workers “has hurt the sense of justice of local workers and Indonesian people” as the pandemic has already left millions of locals jobless, Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, said by phone. The government should immediately cancel the permits for foreigners and give priority to domestic workers, he said.