TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Friday's virtual press conference from the State Palace claimed the Omnibus Job Creation Law that the House of Representatives (DPR) passed on Monday was meant to improve workers' welfare and not the opposite.

He said the widespread protests against the passing of the bill was mainly driven by disinformation and hoaxes.

"What I see is the protests against the Job Creation Law is basically driven by disinformation on the law's substances and social media hoaxes," said the President on October 9.

He added the disinformation included laws governing a worker's leave, which was said to have changed to unpaid leaves. "I assure you that this is untrue. Workers' leave still remains and is guaranteed," said Jokowi.

Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) president Said Iqbal previously said the leave benefits for workers were not blatantly erased in the Job Creation Law, but asserted that the fact showed that annual leaves for workers were no longer a corporate requirement, thus leading to fears that it may potentially be erased.

“The annual leave has been changed in the Omnibus Law and employers are no longer required to provide them,” Said Iqbal wrote in Friday’s press release. He maintained workers demanded the previous law, Law No.13/2003, be reinstated.

Read: IDEAS: Workforce Concept in Omnibus Law Inapplicable in Indonesia

DEWI NURITA