More dialogs sought for acceptance of new labor law
More dialogs sought for acceptance of new labor law
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Experts and legislators are calling on trade unions and employers
to resolve peacefully their remaining objections to the new
manpower bill, saying the new draft could be amended for the sake
of both parties.
Bomer Pasaribu of the Center for Labor and Development Studies
(CLDS) said on Wednesday the new manpower bill would improve
working conditions in terms of severance pay, salary payments
during strikes and two months' sabbatical leave.
But he also recognized that several articles, including the
use of temporary workers and child labor, were considered by some
labor unions to only benefit businesses.
"It is better to accept the endorsement of the manpower bill
as the bill is a good regulation. All parties then can talk to
each other to resolve the remaining objections and propose a
revision," he told The Jakarta Post.
The new manpower bill, approved by the House of
Representatives on Tuesday, is expected to be enacted next month
whether President Megawati signs the bill into law or not.
But small trade unions have rejected the bill, saying it
disadvantages workers. They pointed at the low compensation for
workers dismissed for committing a crime and the use of temporary
workers and child labor.
Employers associations have also complained about the
requirement to provide severance pay of a maximum nine times the
monthly salary for dismissed workers, saying it was higher than
the present rate of seven times the monthly salary.
Rekso Ageng Herman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) concurred with Bomer.
He expressed disappointment with those who still reject the
new manpower bill without suggesting a concrete solution.
"We have been doing our best to produce a good law that
accommodates the interests of both workers and employers. So we
hope all parties can accept it," he said.
Bomer went on to say that labor unions must also push for the
creation of a government regulation to tightly regulate the
implementation of the articles on child workers and temporary
workers.
"These articles really need further government regulation
because the articles are prone to abuse by employers," he said.
He said, for example, the temporary workers article could be
abused by employers to recruit as many temporary workers as
possible to keep company expenses low.