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)