Workers urge DPR to stop deliberating labor bills<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Some 3000 workers belonging to Forum Lima (the Forum of Five)
\nstaged a protest on Sunday demanding that the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) stop deliberating bills on worker
\nprotection and the settlement of industrial relations disputes.<\/p>\n
Carrying placards calling for an end to labor suppression and
\nviolence against child workers, the protesters marched from the
\nNational Monument (Monas) at Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, to
\nthe front of the DPR complex.<\/p>\n
Field coordinator Musriyanto said that they wanted the House
\nto revise the two bills and revoke law no. 25\/1997 on labor.<\/p>\n
According to Musriyanto, law no. 25\/1997 was a product of the
\nNew Order regime, which unfairly favored the business community,
\nwhile the labor protection bill gave too many privileges to
\nbusinesspeople to exploit workers by introducing an internship
\nprogram and probation period for workers.<\/p>\n
\"Such arrangements encourage businesspeople to avoid
\nresponsibility if a worker has an accident, and can leave workers
\non probation indefinitely,\" Musriyanto was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
He added that the bill on the settlement of industrial
\nrelations disputes put workers in a difficult position all the
\ntime as it allowed businesspeople to fire workers arbitrarily
\nwithout any obligation to pay compensation to laid-off workers.<\/p>\n
Musriyanto said they had decided to stage a protest in front
\nof the House complex as the Ministry of Manpower and
\nTransmigration had failed to respond to their aspirations.<\/p>\n
\"Labor protests often end up with companies firing the workers
\ninvolved,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, National Front for the Struggle of Indonesian
\nWorkers (FNPBI) chairperson Dita Indah Sari said in Jakarta that
\nup to 80 percent of the country's trade unions rejected both the
\ntwo bills and Labor Law No. 25\/1997.<\/p>\n
\"According to data we've gathered so far, almost 80 percent of
\ntrade unions (in Indonesia) reject the two bills. They don't wish
\nto mobilize massive protests just yet,\" said Dita, who is also a
\nnoted labor activist.<\/p>\n
She said her organization had urged trade unions in large
\ncities such as Bandung, West Java; Semarang, Central Java;
\nSurabaya, East Java; and Medan, North Sumatra, to organize
\nmassive protests to reject the bills and law.<\/p>\n
\"Trade unions are already fed up with the House as their
\naspirations are simply ignored (by lawmakers),\" she said.<\/p>\n
According to Dita, the bills were \"sponsored\" by large
\ncompanies so that labor protests could be used as legitimate
\nreasons for firing workers.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the business community criticized the bills as
\n\"overly protective\" and at the expense of investors, warning that
\nif passed into legislation, they would further deteriorate the
\ncountry's business climate.<\/p>\n
\"If the bills become law, many investors will leave the
\ncountry and look for other places in which to invest,\" chairman
\nof the National Economic Recovery Committee (KPEN) Sofjan Wanandi
\nsaid earlier.<\/p>\n
\"The bill is overly protective (of workers),\" Sofjan said.<\/p>\n
According to the bill, companies would have to continue paying
\nworkers their wages, even if they were on strike.<\/p>\n
Under the draft, if a worker stages a strike or faces criminal
\ncharges in court it means he is failing to fulfill his daily
\nduties, but the company would still have to pay the worker's
\nsalary during a strike or for the duration of a trial until the
\ncourt verdict.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/workers-urge-dpr-to-stop-deliberating-labor-bills-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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