Councillors reject labor bills

BEKASI: Councillors from Bekasi mayoralty have voiced their objections to two bills on workers' affairs, which they say will adversely affect workers if they are passed into law.

The two bills are the Dispute Settlement on Industrial Relations (PPHI), and Workers Protection and Supervision (PPK).

Salim Musa, a council from the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction, said he would organize thousands of workers from Bekasi to march to the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly (DPR/MPR) building if the bills were passed into law.

"Workers in Bekasi reject the bills because they will cause misery to hundreds of thousands of workers in the city," Salim was quoted by Antara as saying.

One of the articles of the bills rules about the working contract system, in which workers are temporarily employed. This has worried workers because they will have no guarantee for their future.

Sardjono Saputro, a councillor from the Indonesian Democratic of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said the bills were no better than Law No. 25/1997, which is planned to be replaced by the two laws.--JP