JAKARTA – The Vice Chairman of The House of Regional Representatives of Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) Sultan B Najamudin pushed for the revision of Law Number 5 of 2014 concerning State Civil Apparatus (ASN) to expand the definition of ASN by accommodating the interests of honorary workers.
This request was conveyed by Sultan as a form of appreciation and state responsibility for the performance and dedication of honorary workers in assisting the administration of government and public services.
The ASN Law Number 5 of 2014 only defines Civil Servants (PNS) and Government Employees with Employment Agreements (PPPK) as ASN.
“We encourage the bill to amend the ASN law to be passed immediately. However, in our opinion, the efforts to abolish the honorary workers are not appropriate for a country with a large population like Indonesia. Because the existence of them significantly affects the national social and economic situation,” Sultan said through his official statement on Tuesday (28/2).
According to him, honorary positions are important to be seen as a phase of recruitment and a stepping stone to reach civil servant positions.
Therefore, it is necessary to consider expanding the definition of ASN by adding honorary workers as part of it.
“The honorary workers have the same workload as civil servants and PPPK in serving the community so far. It would not be wrong if the honorary workers were also designated as part of ASN like PPPK,” emphasized the former Deputy Governor of Bengkulu.
Furthermore, Sultan explained that his party really understood that the right staffing system to apply to agencies was a single staffing system.
With this system, those who do work of the same nature must have the same status and employment system.
“It is appropriate if the amendment bill regulates and accommodates the interests of honorary workers. But it is not good if there are still articles prohibiting the government from recruiting honorary workers after the amendment bill is enacted,” explained Senator Sultan.
Article 135 A paragraph 2 of the bill on amendments to the ASN Law states that after this law comes into effect, the government is prohibited or not justified in procuring contract and honorary workers and non-PNS temporary employees.
The most important thing and the principal thing in the Bill on Amending the ASN Law, said Sultan, is how we realize the principles of justice, equality, and welfare for all ASN.
Differences in status and employment systems will not cause social jealousy if financial incentives as a form of state appreciation for all public servants, both civil servants, PPPK and honorary workers, are not differentiated in contrast.
“The problem we have caught from the outpouring of honorary workers in the regions so far is the difference in treatment and the right to financial incentives for employees who have the same obligation to work in government agencies. Thus, for us, the only important thing to fight for from the amendment bill is to reduce the gap in financial rights and other welfare incentives for all non-ASN state servants, especially for honorary workers,” he concluded.
