GOVT ASKED TO RESOLVE ISSUE OF OUTSOURCING WORKERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 29 (Antara) - Indonesia's outsourced workers, who fought for their aspirations during the term of the previous government, hope that the new administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo helps to improve their uncertain fate.          Activists and lawmakers also voice the aspirations of these workers, urging President Jokowi and Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Rini Soemarno to resolve the issue.          Thousands of workers are employed for years under the outsourcing system at SOEs, wherein they worked based on contracts for a certain period without official appointments.         "The issue of outsourcing workers for state-owned companies has been prevalent for nearly two years, but it has yet to be resolved, despite the fact that all conditions for the implementation of the system recommended by the SOE minister have been met," Ribka Tjiptaning, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), said in a press statement on Saturday.         Tjiptaning urged President Jokowi to resolve the problem.         The same call was earlier voiced by activist Poempida Hidayatulloh, chairman of the People's Welfare Organization (Orkestra). He stated that SOE Minister Rini Soemarno should resolve the problem related to the system of outsourcing workers, which employs them and leaves them with an uncertain future.

GOVT TO LIFT OUTSOURCING SYSTEM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 30 (ANTARA) - The government looks set to lift the outsourcing recruitment system but will still maintain it in the recruitment of workers for non-core jobs. Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar has said that even though the outsourcing system had been lifted, companies would still be allowed to recruit outsourcing workers in five sectors, namely cleaning services, security, catering, transportation and oil and gas mining supporting services.          But the government's plan to eradicate the outsourcing system, according to the Association of Indonesian Employers (Apindo) chairman Sofyan Wanandi, ignored a previous agreement among labors, employers and the government.