House to press on with labor bill debate

House to press on with labor bill debate

JAKARTA (JP): The four factions in the House of
Representatives unanimously rejected yesterday non-governmental
organizations (NGO) activists' demands that they postpone
deliberation of the controversial manpower bill.

Legislators from the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar,
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), and the Armed Forces
agreed to pass the bill by the end of September before their term
of office ends.

The government-sanctioned Federation of All-Indonesian Workers
Union was the last organization to request the House and the
government to postpone deliberation of the bill.

The National Commission on Human Rights, the Foundation of
Legal Aid Institute and many other NGOs have demanded that
deliberation be postponed until after new legislators assume
office on Oct. 1.

They said the bill was too complex for the incumbent
legislators to consider properly within three months.

But Tiop Harun Sitorus of the PDI said that three months
should be enough for the legislators to come up with "brilliant
ideas" to finalize the bill.

PDI has criticized the bill for failing give workers enough
support to form an independent union.

The bill contradicts itself because it gave workers from one
company the freedom to form their own union while requiring that
all workers associations had to be associated with the Federation
of All Indonesian Workers, Sitorus said.

Erie Soekardja of the dominant Golkar party said the bill
should empower workers to ensure harmonious industrial relations.

Khofifah Indar Parawansa of the PPP said the bill should
guarantee the interest of workers, employers and government for
the implementation of harmonious industrial relations. (11)