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ATAM, Riau Islands: Workers with a number of labor unions in Batam on Wednesday protested the implementation of a law revision that they said would degrade their rights.

The workers arrived at the Batam municipal council at the Batam Center in the Batamindo Industrial Zone, the biggest industrial area in Batam, on hundreds of motorcycles. The majority of female protesters arrived in four buses. Most of them were workers at various electronics companies in Batam.

Indonesian Metal Workers Union head Agus Sriyono told The Jakarta Post that it was not yet necessary for the government to implement the revised labor law, called Law No. 13/2003.

Many articles of the law, the workers said, eliminated workers’ rights, including an article on contractual workers and employment termination.

“The law [revision] stipulates that companies can employ contractual workers to do their main work.

“This obviously contradicts the law. Cases involving employment termination also can not be processed by the Industrial Court. This would deprive workers’ rights and for that we oppose the government,” Agus said.

Batam municipal council vice speaker Ruslan Kasbulatov said his office would convey the workers’ aspirations to the central government.

“The revision of Law No. 13/2003 on manpower is not only an issue for the workers, but also for businessmen. We will also pay attention to companies’ responses to the law revision, and convey them to the central government for consideration,” Ruslan said. — JP