Manpower office told to draw up 'wise' directives<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives promised Saturday
\nto keep monitoring the government's preparations for implementing
\nthe newly approved manpower bill.<\/p>\n
Amid continued support for, and opposition to, the bill which
\nwas passed last Thursday, legislators agreed that the government
\nshould use the time between now and Oct. 1, 1998, when the bill
\ncomes into effect, to draw up quality directives for implementing
\nit.<\/p>\n
Khofifah Indar Parawansa of the United Development Party (PPP)
\nfaction said the government's directives on manpower affairs
\nshould benefit the workers rather than curtail their rights with
\nlegal measures.<\/p>\n
Separately, Golkar legislator and former chairman of the
\nFederation of All-Indonesia Workers Union (FSPSI), Imam Sudarwo,
\nsaid the government should set up appropriate "operational
\nregulations".<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organization activist Teten Masduki, however,
\ninsisted the bill should be deliberated again because it did not
\nprovide enough protection and leverage for workers to stand up to
\ntheir employers or the government.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said after a meeting with
\nPresident Soeharto Friday that the government would issue eight
\ngovernment regulations before the bill went into effect next
\nyear.<\/p>\n
The bill, unanimously endorsed by all of the House's four
\nfactions, calls for the establishment of 11 government directives
\nand two related laws.<\/p>\n
If the President enacts the bill into law, it will abolish 11
\nold ordinances and laws on labor affairs.<\/p>\n
Khofifah, a member of House Commission VIII on social welfare,
\ncalled on the government to be "wise" when drawing up the
\nmanpower regulations, particularly the one dealing with labor
\nstrikes.<\/p>\n
The bill says workers must notify their employers and the
\ngovernment at least seven days before they go on strike.<\/p>\n
"For workers, striking is a last resort to settle a dispute
\nwith employers. Therefore, the compulsory notification must serve
\nas an administrative procedure rather than as an interval to
\nallow security forces to intervene," said Khofifah, who was a
\nmember of the special committee deliberating the bill.<\/p>\n
She said the PPP wanted the notification clause to be only 24
\nhours before a strike, but it was overruled.<\/p>\n
The old manpower law attempted to stipulate that workers give
\nnotification of their plan to strike 48 hours in advance, while
\nthe original draft of the new manpower bill said notification
\nshould be given 72 hours in advance.<\/p>\n
"The shorter the time (between notification and the strike),
\nthe more independent the strike," Khofifah said.<\/p>\n
Imam said the bill had adequate provisions on labor strikes,
\nincluding a stipulation that workers were allowed to go on strike
\nover Idul Fitri holiday bonuses.<\/p>\n
He said he hoped the regulation on labor strikes would
\nencourage striking workers to abide by the law.<\/p>\n
He said no strikes were conducted in a way that complied with
\nthe labor law in the past.<\/p>\n
The government will also issue regulations on establishing a
\nnational productivity council and a national training council.<\/p>\n
Imam said the councils should involve workers, employers,
\nacademics and others committed to enhancing the productivity of
\nIndonesian workers so that they are on a par with workers in
\ndeveloped countries.<\/p>\n
Upheavals<\/p>\n
Teten warned there could be social upheavals if the manpower
\nbill went into effect without substantial amendments.<\/p>\n
"The bill reduces workers to a group of people who endanger
\npolitical stability. How can we build a democratic industrial
\nrelationship this way?" he asked.<\/p>\n
He suggested the government consider returning the bill for
\nre-deliberation to the next House when its term begins on Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
He said the current House was "too ambitious" in its effort to
\nfinish deliberating a number of bills before the deadline.<\/p>\n
He said the broadcasting bill was another example of hasty
\ndeliberation.<\/p>\n
It was endorsed by the House but returned by the government
\nfor an unprecedented second deliberation, due to some problematic
\narticles.<\/p>\n
"The question is, does the government have the political will
\nto improve the bill or not?" he said.<\/p>\n
He was also quick to voice his skepticism that the government
\nwould be willing to return the bill for improvement.<\/p>\n
"The government has managed to clear hurdles in the bill
\ndeliberation. Now it will have the easy task of setting up
\nregulations which benefit itself," he said. (amd)<\/p>",
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