House passes labor bill<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Workers will be able to go on strike without
\nfear of losing their wages or their Idul Fitri holiday bonus, as
\nthey are now basic rights, if the much-altered manpower bill goes
\ninto effect.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives passed the bill in a plenary
\nsession yesterday, claiming significant changes to accommodate
\nthe aspiration of workers.<\/p>\n
The document will abolish 11 ordinances and laws on labor
\naffairs if it is enacted by the President and will go into effect
\non Oct. 1, 1998. There has been no explanation as to why the bill
\nwill go into effect on that date.<\/p>\n
Weeks of intensive deliberation, under the pressure of limited
\ntime and constant criticism of the bill from various corners,
\nended yesterday and proved to be a draining experience for
\nMinister of Manpower Abdul Latief. He shed tears while delivering
\nhis speech before the plenary session presided over by Deputy
\nHouse Speaker Ismail Hasan Metareum.<\/p>\n
Outside the plenary hall, hundreds of workers representing the
\nJakarta chapter of the government-backed All-Indonesia Workers
\nUnion Federation (SPSI) rallied in support of the new bill. They
\npresented Latief with a garland of flowers as he was about to
\nleave the House.<\/p>\n
Meters apart, a group of non-governmental organization (NGO)
\nactivists calling themselves the Women's Group for Labor Justice
\nstaged a demonstration. They expressed what they called
\n\"condolence for the vanishing protection of workers' rights\".<\/p>\n
According to the bill, workers are allowed to go on strike if
\ntheir basic rights are not met without having to lose their
\nwages. The original draft submitted by the government said
\nworkers should not be paid when they go on strike.<\/p>\n
The government decided to include a bonus in connection with
\nthe Idul Fitri holiday among workers' basic rights.<\/p>\n
\"It's a pitiful sight -- fasting workers stage a strike only
\nto seek some extra money so they can celebrate the holiday with
\ntheir families,\" Latief said sobbing.<\/p>\n
He took a pause to wipe away tears before adding: \"We hope the
\ndecision will curb the number of such strikes.\"<\/p>\n
The bill, however, bans strikes held on streets. Workers must
\nalso notify both their employer and the government at least 72
\nhours before they strike.<\/p>\n
Latief said that street rallies were vulnerable to \"meddling
\nby certain parties\" and not effective in solving problems.<\/p>\n
\"Street rallies are banned because we want the workers to
\nsolve problems with their management at their workplaces and
\nthrough deliberation,\" Latief said.<\/p>\n
A legislator from the United Development Party, Tosari Wijaya,
\ndefended the bill's provision on strike procedures, saying that
\neven in Western countries such regulations were applied.<\/p>\n
\"The bill actually wants to prevent strikes and instead
\nsuggests deliberation,\" said Tosari, also an executive of SPSI.<\/p>\n
A maximum sentence of six months in jail and a maximum fine of
\nRp 50 million (US$17,000) will be imposed on employers who take
\npunitive measures against the right to strike.<\/p>\n
The bill allows workers to establish a trade union at their
\nrespective factories. The government had insisted earlier that a
\ntrade union had to receive support from a majority of workers,
\nbut the House rejected it.<\/p>\n
Those who prevent a group of people from establishing a trade
\nunion face a maximum of two years in jail and a Rp 200 million
\n($68,000) fine.<\/p>\n
The government names SPSI as the only recognized workers
\norganization in the country. According to the bill, a trade union
\nmust register itself and provide names of its members to the
\nMinistry of Manpower.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Consortium of Migrant Worker Advocates
\ncriticized the bill for lacking measures to protect Indonesian
\nworkers who work abroad, particularly women.<\/p>\n
\"There is no basic change in the final draft of the bill
\ncompared to the original one dealing with protection of female
\nworkers who frequently fall prey to violence and sexual
\nharassment,\" the consortium said in its release.<\/p>\n
It said the bill did not provide migrant workers with rights
\nto information, appropriate accommodations and other basic
\nrights. (amd)<\/p>",
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