THE protests against the Labor Law revisions these past few weeks have been quite disruptive. In Jakarta, demonstrations by tens of thousands of laborers caused heavy traffic jams in the main streets and even forced Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla to meet with the protesters outside his office last Thursday.

But where was Labor and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno when this wave of demonstrations was at fever pitch? The 56-year-old Erman who