Manpower office told to draw up 'wise' directives

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives promised Saturday to keep monitoring the government's preparations for implementing the newly approved manpower bill.

Amid continued support for, and opposition to, the bill which was passed last Thursday, legislators agreed that the government should use the time between now and Oct. 1, 1998, when the bill comes into effect, to draw up quality directives for implementing it.

Khofifah Indar Parawansa of the United Development Party (PPP) faction said the government's directives on manpower affairs should benefit the workers rather than curtail their rights with legal measures.

Separately, Golkar legislator and former chairman of the Federation of All-Indonesia Workers Union (FSPSI), Imam Sudarwo, said the government should set up appropriate "operational regulations".

Non-governmental organization activist Teten Masduki, however, insisted the bill should be deliberated again because it did not provide enough protection and leverage for workers to stand up to their employers or the government.

Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said after a meeting with President Soeharto Friday that the government would issue eight government regulations before the bill went into effect next year.

The bill, unanimously endorsed by all of the House's four factions, calls for the establishment of 11 government directives and two related laws.

If the President enacts the bill into law, it will abolish 11 old ordinances and laws on labor affairs.

Khofifah, a member of House Commission VIII on social welfare, called on the government to be "wise" when drawing up the manpower regulations, particularly the one dealing with labor strikes.

The bill says workers must notify their employers and the government at least seven days before they go on strike.

"For workers, striking is a last resort to settle a dispute with employers. Therefore, the compulsory notification must serve as an administrative procedure rather than as an interval to allow security forces to intervene," said Khofifah, who was a member of the special committee deliberating the bill.

She said the PPP wanted the notification clause to be only 24 hours before a strike, but it was overruled.

The old manpower law attempted to stipulate that workers give notification of their plan to strike 48 hours in advance, while the original draft of the new manpower bill said notification should be given 72 hours in advance.

"The shorter the time (between notification and the strike), the more independent the strike," Khofifah said.

Imam said the bill had adequate provisions on labor strikes, including a stipulation that workers were allowed to go on strike over Idul Fitri holiday bonuses.

He said he hoped the regulation on labor strikes would encourage striking workers to abide by the law.

He said no strikes were conducted in a way that complied with the labor law in the past.

The government will also issue regulations on establishing a national productivity council and a national training council.

Imam said the councils should involve workers, employers, academics and others committed to enhancing the productivity of Indonesian workers so that they are on a par with workers in developed countries.

Upheavals

Teten warned there could be social upheavals if the manpower bill went into effect without substantial amendments.

"The bill reduces workers to a group of people who endanger political stability. How can we build a democratic industrial relationship this way?" he asked.

He suggested the government consider returning the bill for re-deliberation to the next House when its term begins on Oct. 1.

He said the current House was "too ambitious" in its effort to finish deliberating a number of bills before the deadline.

He said the broadcasting bill was another example of hasty deliberation.

It was endorsed by the House but returned by the government for an unprecedented second deliberation, due to some problematic articles.

"The question is, does the government have the political will to improve the bill or not?" he said.

He was also quick to voice his skepticism that the government would be willing to return the bill for improvement.

"The government has managed to clear hurdles in the bill deliberation. Now it will have the easy task of setting up regulations which benefit itself," he said. (amd)