Controversial bills

Controversial bills

After the press community rejected the draft bill on
broadcasting, now business circles are coming out against a bill
on labor. There is fear these two bills will be the death of the
respective communities.

If passed into law, the broadcasting bill will have the power
to curtail the freedom of the press at anytime. Deliberation of
the bill has been postponed following waves of protest.

The business community is against the labor bill, which they
believe will damage the investment climate. Businesspeople say
that if passed into law, the labor bill will result in mass
layoffs as many businesses will be forced to close down. They
also say investors will put their money in other countries.

The bill is said to be unfair to employers. According to the
draft bill, strikes will be considered a right of employees,
while employers will be obliged to continue paying the salaries
of striking workers.

According to the bill, companies will not be allowed to hire
new employees to replace striking employees, who will be
completely unproductive.

Those are the facts. The two draft bills have received strong
opposition, but there is still a strong push to continue the
deliberation of these controversial bills.

The bills were probably created for political interests.
Groups in the House of Representatives have insisted that the
bills be passed into law. The legislators are seeking new
constituents to support their parties in the 2004 general
election. So, the deliberation of these bills by the House has
been spiced up by camouflaged political moves.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta