'Bill doesn't reflect workers' interests'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation has blasted
\nthe government for its manpower bill which it said would subject
\nworkers to even worse conditions.<\/p>\n
Teten Masduki, the foundation's workers' division director,
\ntold The Jakarta Post Tuesday that the government-sponsored bill
\nwould \"legalize\" unfair labor practices, lessen workers' room to
\nfight for their welfare, and might even help set Indonesia's
\nimage as a site for cheap-labor.<\/p>\n
The bill would only serve to meet the state's economic and
\npolitical interests, using, as its justification, the increasing
\ncompetition of the free trade era, he said Tuesday after a
\ndiscussion on workers' rights.<\/p>\n
\"The bill explicitly shows the government's mission of
\nproviding cheap and politically obedient labor. It does not
\nreflect the interests (of the workers),\" Teten said.<\/p>\n
If passed into law, the bill would only make it more difficult
\nfor the government to protect workers' rights in times of free
\nand harsh competition, he pointed out.<\/p>\n
The bill seeks to amend the 1969 Law No. 14 on Manpower, which
\nstipulates that the government has the authority to conduct
\n\"labor inspections\" and enforce the law. If passed, the bill will
\nallow the government to -- without restraint -- interfere in
\nlabor industrial disputes.<\/p>\n
The bill is currently registered at the House of
\nRepresentatives and is expected to pass into law before the
\ngeneral election to be held next May.<\/p>\n
Activists have criticized the document for allegedly leaving
\nout provisions on workers' right to assemble. They believe this
\nwould, directly or indirectly, leave workers no choice but to
\njoin the sole officially sanctioned All-Indonesia Workers Union
\nFederation rather than establishing or choosing their own unions.<\/p>\n
Lutfi Hakim, director of the legal aid division at the Jakarta
\nchapter of the unrecognized Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union,
\nsaid amending the law would be useless unless subsequent
\nregulations are also to be established.<\/p>\n
The proposed bill, with 9 chapters and 35 articles, would have
\nto be accompanied by 21 new legislations because it does not
\nmeticulously mete out specific interpretation of the law. This
\nsituation, according to the activists, enables the government
\nbecome the sole interpreter of the law.<\/p>\n
One good point is that the proposed bill incorporates
\nprotection for those working in the informal sectors.<\/p>\n
Aris Ananta of the University of Indonesia had earlier urged
\nthe government to include those working in the informal and rural
\nsectors, 70 percent of whom are not covered by labor laws.<\/p>\n
\"Those workers in the informal and rural sectors are
\nuneducated and low-skilled and most of them are living below the
\npoverty line,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Criticism of the existing laws includes lack of provisions on
\nthe protection of child workers, migrant workers and indigenous
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Lawyers from the Institute of Policy Research and Advocacy,
\nthe recently founded legal aid for women called the Association
\nof Indonesian Women for Justice, and the Jakarta Social Institute
\ntook part in Tuesday's discussion with Teten.<\/p>\n
Separately, Antara reported yesterday that as many as 68 of a
\ntotal of 16,737 companies which violated manpower regulations in
\n1996 have been brought to court.<\/p>\n
Director general for supervision of workers of the Ministry of
\nManpower, Suwarto, said Monday that of the 68 companies brought
\nto court, 25 had been handed a verdict. Of the 25, 5 company
\nowners were sentenced to imprisonment and 20 were fined, he said.<\/p>\n
He further noted that businesspeople's awareness of manpower
\nregulations increased in 1996 because some 200 companies were
\nsued in 1995 for violating similar regulations.<\/p>\n
He added that between January and November, there were 344
\nlabor strikes, involving 220,914 workers. Most of the strikes
\nwere related to wage and benefit increases.<\/p>\n
The government will announce increases in the regional minimum
\nwage rates early in January 1997, he said. (06)<\/p>",
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