House closer to approving labor bill

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.