Civil servants' freedom

Civil servants' freedom

From Rakyat Merdeka

Civil servants have been affiliated with a single workers'
union, i.e. the Civil Servants Corps (Korpri), for the last 32
years. With only one union, the government can easily control its
members, now totaling about four million, and direct them to vote
in general elections for a certain political party.

The political pressure on civil servants (PNS) was proven by
their obligation to vote for Golkar, the former ruling party, and
have Golkar identification numbers. Besides, Korpri served as a
means for some officials to occupy high government positions.

The freedom to join and set up workers' unions is stipulated
in Law No. 21/2000 on labor unions, International Labor
Organization (ILO) Convention No. 87 on the freedom of and right
to assembly, and ILO Convention No. 98 on the right to assembly
and negotiation, which have become part of the national
legislation through ratification.

Law No. 21/2000, Article 44, provides the legal basis for PNS
to set up workers' unions, the implementation of which, however,
will be separately regulated by law.

With this law, therefore, there is no reason for the
government to restrict the freedom of PNS to establish workers'
unions other than Korpri. PNS should be neutral, without the
obligation to join Korpri and vote for a certain party in
elections. This is the most basic right the PNS have so far been
deprived of.

The implementation of the rights and obligations of PNS, which
are not stipulated in detail in Law No. 21/2000, should be
promptly regulated.

NOVA ANDIKA, Jakarta