House agrees to delay labor law enforcement
House agrees to delay labor law enforcement
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives unanimously
approved on Monday the government regulation in lieu of the
controversial 1997 labor law, allowing an extension of the old
law which was passed in 1968 until Oct. 1, 2002.
All the 11 House factions endorsed the government regulation
in a bid to avoid a legal vacuum in the labor field, pending
completion of an amendment to the 1997 law now being pursued by
the government and the House.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
faction said it supported the review of the 1997 labor law
because it contained fundamental flaws and it would take more
time to amend it.
"We need much more time to complete deliberation of the
amendment to the 1997 law because we still have urgent
legislative duties, including amending the central bank law and
probing high-profile financial scandals known as Buloggate and
Bruneigate," the faction said in its statement.
The House had postponed the enforcement of the 1997 labor law
on Oct. 1, 1998 on grounds that it needed fundamental changes in
line with the reform movement and the implementation of regional
autonomy next January.
Labor activists strongly criticized the law, which was passed
under a cloud of suspicion after it was discovered that state-
owned PT Jamsostek had forked out Rp 7.3 billion to finance
deliberation of the bill. The bill was sponsored by the ministry
of manpower, then under the auspices of Abdul Latief.
The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction suggested on Monday
that the House focus efforts on expediting the deliberation of
the bill amendment to help reduce labor problems.
Fuad Imam Imran, spokesman for the faction, said labor
problems deserved extra attention because they were closely
linked to human rights abuses.
"In line with the reform movement, the House and the
government have approved a law on the freedom to unionize and are
deliberating two bills on labor protection and on industrial
relations and labor standards," he said.
Deputy House Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar who presided over the
plenary session, called on people, especially workers, to remain
patient as they waited for a new, comprehensive law to replace
the old one which was certainly no longer appropriate in the
reform era.
Acting Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erna Witoelar who
represented the government in the plenary session conceded the
government's slow pace in drafting a comprehensive law on
manpower.
She said the government would submit a bill on settlement of
labor disputes, which would give authority to district courts to
try labor disputes.
"This bill is aimed at giving legal certainty to investors and
employers on one hand and workers on the other hand when both
sides are in dispute," she said. (rms)