Bipartite Collective Labor Agreements (PKBs) may be one of the ways laborers can achieve better industrial relations with their employers, although many companies have not got committed to signing such agreements, a Manpower and Transmigration Ministry official says.
Only 10,000 companies had committed to signing agreements between employers and laborers, among a total of 180,000 companies across the country, the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry’s labor regulations, welfare and discrimination analysis director, R. Irianto Simbolon, said Wednesday.
“Bipartite agreements always benefit both parties, and will smooth relations between employers and laborers,” he said.
“However, many companies have not initiated such agreements yet.”
Irianto was speaking during the signing of a PKB between the management of Pelita Air Service, an
aviation-service provider, and its labor union.
Irianto said the existence of several unions in a company without common a perception on employees’ welfare could prevent the signing of such agreements.
“It is important to create a unified voice for several labor unions within a company to smooth relations with employers,” he said.
Separately, Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Jakarta chapter chairman Soeprayitno said that disintegration among several labor unions in a company could not lead to the signing of such
agreements.
“Most companies will sign such agreements if all employees are represented by a labor union that could engage in [long-term and short-term] fair negotiations,” he told The Jakarta Post over the phone.
The chairman of Pelita Air Service Labor Union, Ali, said he expected the signing of the agreement to have positive impacts on existing relations with the employer.
“This will create a balanced position between workers and employers,” Ali told the Post before signing the agreement.
“This will also impact various agreements with our employer.”
He said that the agreements included working systems, the wage payment system, a health-and-safety-at-work system for workers, and regulations related to violations and sanctions for both parties.
Ali also said the labor union was established two years ago by combining several internal workers’ associations, including the Pelita Air Service Pilot Association (IPAS) and the Communication Forum of Pelita Flight Crew (Forkap).
He acknowledged that a harmonious vision between the associations should be established to make sure that negotiations with employers benefitted all parties.
Pelita is a subsidiary of state oil and gas company PT Pertamina, which has a majority share of 99.99 percent. Pelita’s main customers are oil and gas companies with long-term contracts.
The bipartite agreement signed Wednesday was Pelita’s first.
Pelita’s president director, Andjar Wibawanun, said the agreement would ensure strong relations between the management and workers.
“To follow up on this agreement, we have a stronger strategy to increase the welfare of our workers,” he said.
Ali said the agreement would also impact the company’s decisions during the provision of incentives to its workers, especially when the company booked profits.
Andjar said his company made profits of around Rp 30 billion (US$3.18 million) every year, with a revenue of between Rp 500 billion and Rp 600 billion.
Pelita now has a fleet of 21 aircraft of both fixed and rotary wings.
It plans to replace two old helicopters, Sikorsy S-76, with Sikorsy S-76C+, priced at between $6 million and $7 million, for Conoco Phillips next year, Andjar said.
“Another old aircraft, a Dutch-made Fokker F-100, will also be replaced with a Brazillian-made Embraer 170, next year,” he said.
“PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia will use this new aircraft.”
