Workers and businessmen unhappy with revised labor bill
Workers and businessmen unhappy with revised labor bill
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Labor union activists and businessmen have expressed discontent
with the changes to the labor bill being deliberated at the House
of Representatives, saying the revision fails to accommodate
their respective aspirations.
"The revision is worse than the previous one as it reduces
workers' rights. We have no other option but to reject the bill,"
Dita Indah Sari, chairwoman of the National Front for Labor
Struggle told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
She threatened to join forces with other labor unions,
including the Mukhtar Pakpahan-led Indonesian Prosperity Trade
Union (SBSI), in calling for a national strike by the end of this
month if the bill is passed.
"I hope other big labor unions will reject the bill too," she
said.
Dita's opposition to the revised bill centers on the omission
of 20 articles regarding crimes against workers which may be
committed by employers, thus providing workers with less
protection.
The revised bill even maintains tight procedures for legal
strikes by requiring those involved to obtain support from
workers and to report to employers seven days beforehand.
It also only obliges a firm to provide transportation for
workers, compared to the previous version of the bill which
stipulates that a company must provide transportation for workers
until the workers reach their homes.
The labor bill is a package of two bills: a bill on labor
development and protection, and a bill on the settlement of
industrial disputes.
The earlier version of the bill drew strong protests both from
labor unions and businessmen, each claiming that the bill was
damaging to their respective interests.
Both parties' uncompromising stance eventually forced the
government to revise no less than 35 articles in the bill to
avoid further resistance.
The revised edition, however, has retained some contentious
issues.
Severance and service payments for dismissed and resigning
workers, worshiping and breast-feeding times, facilities at the
workplace and payment for striking workers all remain undecided.
Separately, deputy chairman of the Indonesia Employers
Association (APINDO) Djimanto said the revisions to the bill
still did not provide a conducive situation for firms to operate
here.
"We are voicing our complaints as the bill is still over
protective of workers," he told the Post.
"If the bill is endorsed, I'm worried that many small and
medium companies will collapse due to soaring labor costs, while
investment will not come."
Huge companies will also relocate overseas or at least will
take various drastic efficiency measures, he added.
Djimanto objected to an article which stipulates that a firm
must give a three-months leave for workers who have worked for at
least six consecutive years.
He also opposed an article about menstruation leave for female
workers, saying that the facility was prone to misuse, thus
affecting production.
"We propose that leave for female workers be limited to only
maternity leave," he said.
Meanwhile, head of the Indonesian Footwear Association
(Aprisindo) Anton Supit hoped that the government and the House
could provide a clear ruling on labor issues as Indonesia is
facing stiff competition from other countries.
"Don't make regulations which protect workers too much. Even
the United States doesn't adopt such a restrictive labor law as
is currently under debate here," he said.