Manpower bill stifles growth of civil society<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Political and legal experts strongly criticized
\nthe draft manpower bill yesterday, saying it failed to
\naccommodate the basic rights of workers and constricted the
\ndevelopment of civil society.<\/p>\n
Political observer Muhammad A.S. Hikam said that, if passed
\nwithout fundamental changes, the bill would repress the two basic
\ntenets of civil society -- workers' ability to achieve self
\nempowerment and self sufficiency.<\/p>\n
\"As one of the strategic groups in Indonesian society ...
\nworkers should have more room to struggle for their empowerment,\"
\nsaid the political scientist from the Indonesian Institute of
\nSciences.<\/p>\n
\"They can contribute to strengthening democracy in society
\nbecause real workers are also citizens holding authority,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The government is vigorously pushing the House of
\nRepresentatives to pass the bill before end of the current House
\nterm next month.<\/p>\n
The determination to pass the bill was evident by the fact
\nthat certain legislators held meetings with government
\nrepresentatives at a North Jakarta hotel to discuss the bill
\ndespite the fact that the House was in recess.<\/p>\n
The bill has come under sharp criticism from a host of
\nsections of society and labor groups.<\/p>\n
However legislators have indicated that the bill will pass as
\nwritten.<\/p>\n
Among the points of contention are articles concerning the
\nright to strike and form unions.<\/p>\n
The bill consists of 18 chapters and 159 articles and is
\nexpected to replace six ordinances and nine laws on labor affairs
\nissued between 1887 and 1969.<\/p>\n
It will later serve as an umbrella law for all legislation in
\nmanpower affairs.<\/p>\n
Hikam warned that failure to pay proper attention to the
\nlaborers' rights could bring about a political situation satiated
\nwith tension.<\/p>\n
Hikam was speaking at a one-day International Conference on
\nTrade Union Rights in Indonesia. The conference was organized
\njointly by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), and six
\ninternational labor unions.<\/p>\n
Speakers at the conference included YLBHI chairman Bambang
\nWidjojanto, the regional president of the International
\nFederation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical
\nEmployees (FIET), Joe De Bruyn, the All Indonesian Workers
\nAssociation secretary-general, Andi Hisbuldin Patunru, and IMF
\nrepresentative Timothy Ryan.<\/p>\n
Bambang Widjojanto warned that a national labor law which did
\nnot accommodate workers' basic rights could adversely affect
\nnational exports.<\/p>\n
\"People in developed countries are pressuring their
\ngovernments to relate trade policies to the rights of workers in
\ntheir bilateral and multilateral trade agreements,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Almost all of the speakers insisted the government drop the
\ncurrent draft bill which they said violated international labor
\nstandards.<\/p>\n
De Bruyn said the bill's repression of association, lack of
\nright to bargain collectively and rejection of the right to
\nstrike fundamentally defied trade union rights.<\/p>\n
\"All these are fundamental trade union rights which are set in
\nthe Conventions of the International Labor Organization, and
\nwhich have been widely accepted throughout the world as being a
\nfundamental part of any democratic nation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He argued that the bill cannot protect workers in the era of
\nglobalization of which Indonesia is now very much a part. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/manpower-bill-stifles-growth-of-civil-society-1447893297",
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