Revision of manpower ministry decree a setback: Activists

JAKARTA (JP): Labor activists expressed anger over the revision of Ministry of Manpower Decree No. 150/2000, calling it a setback and disaster for workers.

Beno Widodo, the coordinator of the Committee of Workers' Struggle Unity, and lawyer Sudarto told The Jakarta Post in separate interviews on Tuesday that the new decree, No. 78/2001, limited the rights of workers.

"It is a setback. The new decree tends to benefit employers and limit the rights of workers. The new decree is the result of collusion between business circles and the authorities," Sudarto, who heads the labor division at the Surabaya Legal Aid Institute, said in Surabaya.

According to Sudarto, Decree No. 150/2000, issued by then minister of manpower Bomer Pasaribu, was ideal for workers. "Businesspeople had to treat workers in a very fair manner once the decree was issued. Now that the decree has been revised, the government has started destroying workers' rights. With the new decree employers can now ask workers they don't like to quit, instead of dismissing them."

Current Minister of Manpower Al Hilal Hamdi approved the revised decree on May 4, 2001.

Decree No. 150/2000 stipulated that employers were obliged to provide workers who resigned compensation and a bonus for their "dedication". According to Decree No. 78/2001, workers who resign will only receive the compensation.

The old decree did not set any terms workers who resigned had to meet to receive the money, which the new decree does.

According to the old decree, workers who were dismissed for serious violations were still entitled to "appreciation" money and compensation, while the new decree rules that these workers will only receive compensation.

The new decree states that workers who are absent for at least five consecutive days to take part in protests or strikes will be subject to current regulations. The old decree contained no such stipulation.

"The new decree is a disaster for workers, who have been defeated in the majority of disputes with employers," Sudarto said.

Beno Widodo shared this opinion, saying that for workers the most important points in the new decree were the elimination of appreciation money and the article on taking part in strikes.

"The new decree really weakens the position of workers and paralyzes their freedom of expression," Beno said in Bandung.

"The new decree says that workers who are absent for five days for protests/strikes will be considered as having resigned and will not be entitled to compensation. What if the employees are joining a strike to fight for workers' rights? Will they be dismissed for that?"

Beno accused the government of failing to invite labor unions at the national and provincial levels to take part in discussions on the revisions.

He also criticized both the executive and legislative branches for failing to stand up to pressure from businesspeople.

But publicly listed milk producer PT Sari Husada said the revision of the decree would not change its treatment of employees.

Felix Mulia, the company's vice president, speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony at its plant in Kemudo, Klaten, to mark the company's 29th anniversary on Tuesday, said his company was not influenced by the new decree.

"Decree No. 150/2000 was on the side of workers but everything was all right for both our workers and our company. Now I see that the new decree is not very good for the workers, but there is no need for us to change our policy on labor just because the government recently issued this new decree," he said. (23/25/nur/sur)