House closer to approving labor bill

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House special committee in charge of deliberating the labor bill has reached an agreement on crucial issues including the recognition of the right of workers to strike, the existence of temporary workers and sabbatical leave.

Rekso Ageng Herman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Tjarda Muchtar of the Golkar Party said on Thursday that the committee still had to debate issues on dismissal, voluntary resignation, and workers payment during a strike.

"Generally, we have accommodated labor unions and employers' aspirations earlier this week. We're doing our best to endorse the bill this month," said Herman, who also participated in the intensive debate between labor unions and employers in the last four months.

For more than four years the nation has been waiting for a reliable and trouble-free labor law after Law No. 25/1997 was rejected by labor unions, which said it stifled workers' rights.

The government and the House had issued a law to revoke the labor law, and the latter asked the government to submit a new labor bill, which is currently being deliberated.

However, the bill -- mainly articles on dismissal, resignation, sabbatical leave and strikes -- has drawn criticism from both labor unions and employers, who claim that the bill would disadvantage them.

But after prolonged disputes, both parties came to an understanding earlier this week, paving the way for the endorsement of the labor bill.

Herman went on to say that the bill has guaranteed the right of workers to strike, thus striking workers would not be penalized as long as they informed the relevant authorities and followed other procedures.

The existence of temporary workers was also acknowledged by the bill, with a maximum period of five years allowed until they are made permanent employees, he said.

"The recognition of temporary workers for a limited period will reduce abuses by firms that currently always try to extend the working period of their temporary workers," he said.

"At the same, it accommodates job orders for short periods."

The bill also ensured that workers would be entitled to a two- month sabbatical vacation after working with a company for six consecutive years, but would lose their annual vacation, Herman said.

Meanwhile, Tjarda, who is also vice chairman of the special committee on the bill deliberation, said the understanding of labor unions and employers over the contentious issues had eased the House's work in endorsing the bill.

However, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) said the bill had legalized modern slavery of workers. LBH asserted the bill provided no concrete protection of workers during strikes and it objected to the legalization of temporary workers.