Unions say labor bill gives less protection to workers

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Some trade unions voiced their rejection, while others took a softer stance by asking for improvements to the labor bill currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives.

This will further complicate the deliberation of the bill as earlier businesses also slammed the bill, which they said gave too much protection to workers at the expense of employers.

The Indonesian Trade Union Committee (KSPI) and the Anti Labor Repression Committee (KAPB) were among those that rejected the bill during a hearing with House Commission VII on people's welfare and manpower affairs on Wednesday.

KSPI comprises 11 labor unions including teachers and telecommunication workers unions, while KAPB has 12 labor unions as its members.

While those that support the bill but demand revisions include the Federation of Indonesian Labor Unions (FSPSI) and the Indonesian Prosperity Labor Union (SBSI).

Dita Indah Sari, chairperson of the National Front for the Struggle of Indonesian Workers (FNBI) said that the bill was worse than the previous rulings and disadvantaged workers.

"It stinks. The bill kills workers instead of protecting them," she told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the hearing.

FNBI is part of the Anti Labor Repression Committee.

"We plan a series of actions to reject this bill. We urge the House not to approve the bill on July 9. If the House insists on approving it, it will only prove that the House and the government are rotten," she said.

Syaiful DP of the Indonesian Union Trade Committee (KSPI) also voiced their rejection.

He said that the bill was not fair as it gave the right to strike only to those workers who belonged to trade unions.

He added that workers would suffer the most because the bill said workers would not get paid if they went on strike.

He also said that the bill gave the right to companies to lay off workers without informing the government.

"KSPI, therefore, rejects this bill, and urges the House to drop it," Syaiful said at the hearing.

Wednesday's hearing was participated in by representatives of 33 labor unions. Most of them proposed improvements to the bill.

Edy Rinaldi of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Workers (PPMI) said that the bill should include rules on career development and procedures for hiring employees since companies could employ workers under a "temporary" status arrangement for 20 years or so without any time limit.

He also asked legislators to ban the company from labor outsourcing because it would not allow workers to receive higher wages.

"A worker in Surabaya just gets Rp 455,000 (about US$ 50) from the subcontractor while the user company actually spends Rp 2.5 million to hire him," he said.

Ruslan Effendy of the Federation of Indonesian Unions (SPRI) also suggested that the bill give female workers two days menstrual leave, as stipulated in Labor Law No. 25/1997.

Meanwhile, Rekson Silaban of SBSI highlighted the need for the bill to recognize the workers' right to strike.

"The right to strike is guaranteed by the ILO Convention. If the bill bans it, we will ask ILO to intervene because Indonesia has ratified the convention," he said.

Rekson said that the bill should guarantee that the company did not punish workers during negotiations with employers to settle disputes.

"No suspensions, no transfers and no layoffs please," he said.