Labor union drafting two bills on workers' rights
Labor union drafting two bills on workers' rights
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Prosperity Labor Union (SBSI) yesterday announced its intention to present two labor bills to the House of Representatives, hopefully through the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
SBSI Chairman Muchtar Pakpahan told a media conference yesterday that the first bill, which is already under discussion with the Indonesian Bar Association, underlines basic labor rights, including workers' rights of assembly and sanctions against companies barring workers from forming or joining unions.
The bill should be completed this year, he said.
The second piece of legislation will be about workers' protection and should be completed next year.
The two bills however only have a remote chance of ever reaching the House of Representatives, even assuming the PDI does help sponsor them. Not a single piece of legislation has come from the House in the last 30 years. All the laws have been presented by the government.
The House's regulations also make it virtually impossible for a faction to take the initiative. It has to secure a second faction to sponsor a bill and to date, none of the four factions has been willing to play second fiddle.
Muchtar, a lawyer by training, however was not deterred.
He has secured the cooperation of top lawyers in the Indonesian Bar Association to give the bill a thorough check to ensure that it complies with procedures.
SBSI, which was established in 1992, and claims to have around 500,000 members is not recognized by the Indonesian government.
Muchtar yesterday also explained that one of SBSI's leaders in North Sumatra has been under police detention since Dec. 31 without a police warrant.
He said Roliati Harefa, an executive of the SBSI branch in Binjai, was detained by the local police when she reported an alleged assault against her by her supervisor at the lumber mill where she worked.
Police detained her apparently on the grounds that her supervisor had also filed a complaint that she had attacked him, Muchtar said.
Roliati was moved on Jan. 4 to the Tanjung Gusta detention center for four days. Since Jan. 8 she has been in the Medan police prison.
SBSI wrote a letter of protest on Jan. 6 to the North Sumatra Police Chief, Brig. Gen. Nana S. Permana, pointing out that the police never issued a warrant for her arrest.
SBSI has also written to the Chief of the National Police Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro and the National Commission on Human Rights on Jan. 8.
"We've not heard anything from the police," Muchtar said.
Roliati has also lost her job at the lumber mill. (anr)