Coronavirus: anxiety over Chinese workers in Indonesia as job losses increase
- ‘Society is not ready to welcome foreign workers,’ says provincial governor as legislators reject the arrival of 500 Chinese migrant workers
- Xenophobia over the origins of Covid-19 and nearly 3 million job losses are bringing long-simmering resentment to the boil
Last week, legislators in Southwest Sulawesi province rejected the planned arrival of about 500 workers hired by the Chinese-backed PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry and PT Obsidian Stainless Steel despite permits being issued by the central government in Jakarta.
The provincial governor Ali Mazi told state news agency Antara he supported the call, adding that “society is not ready to welcome foreign workers”.
Said Iqbal, the chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union, one of the largest labour groups in Indonesia, said the decision to issue the working permits for the 500 Chinese nationals could trigger resentment and social friction as unemployment surges.
He said the Chinese were unskilled workers and locals would ask why they were not given these jobs instead. “The danger of massive lay-offs in Indonesia is upon us, but work that is still available is given to foreign workers,” Iqbal said, accusing the ministry of being “insensitive” to the plight of local workers.
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With the capital Jakarta under a partial lockdown and numerous cities and provinces having similar restrictions on mobility, most industrial activities in Southeast Asia’s largest economy have ground to a halt. The outlook for the economy – which had its weakest first quarter in 20 years due to sluggish household consumption and external demand as countries struggled with the pandemic – is grim.