House hails bills on ILO conventions<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): House members are hopeful three bills on
\nInternational Labor Organization (ILO) conventions on workers
\nrights submitted by the government last month will end labor
\nexploitation here.<\/p>\n
Anthonius Rahail of the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI)
\nfaction in the House said the conventions should immediately be
\nincorporated into Indonesian law to help uphold people's
\nsovereignty and restore workers' political and economic rights.<\/p>\n
\"For decades, workers have been subject to exploitation (for
\nthe sake) of high economic growth. They are the only major
\nvulnerable group who have not enjoyed the fruits of development,\"
\nhe said during a hearing with Minister of Manpower Fachmi Idris
\nhere on Monday.<\/p>\n
The hearing was presided over by Marzuki Achmad of the House's
\nGolkar faction.<\/p>\n
The government submitted the bills to the House on April 7.
\nThe bills are ILO Convention No. 105 on the abolition of forced
\nlabor, ILO Convention No. 111 on discrimination in employment and
\noccupation and ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
Golkar's Ismoe Handoko berated Soeharto's New Order regime and
\nPresident B.J. Habibie's administration, whose efforts to attract
\nforeign investment often trampled on workers' rights.<\/p>\n
He pointed out, for example, how workers remained underpaid
\nduring the New Order era even when economic growth reached 7
\npercent. They were paid only 63 percent of their real wages while
\nthe remaining 37 percent became a \"subsidy\" for employers.<\/p>\n
Ismoe, also a labor activist, said child labor and
\ndiscrimination in the workplace were still rampant in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"A large number of school-age children in Indonesia
\nvoluntarily work to help their family. They have been deprived of
\na happy childhood,\" he said, citing as an example the employment
\nof more than 15,000 children on the so-called jermal off-shore
\nfishing structures in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Deliberations on the three bills will begin on Tuesday. The
\nbills are expected to be passed into law on April 23. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-hails-bills-on-ilo-conventions-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}