TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Labor Union Association (Aspek Indonesia) president Mirah Sumirat asked Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah to stop forming opinions that mislead the public. She lamented the ministry’s press release on old-age benefit (JHT) which was considered deceitful.

She questioned the results of the meeting between workers and the minister on Feb. 16, regarding the understanding of ministerial regulation No. 2 of 2022.

“I emphasize that what the Manpower Minister said in the release is dishonest and tends to be misleading,” Mirah said in a written statement on Thursday, Feb. 17.

She also said the government’s statement that the old-age benefit (JHT) could be returned to its initial meaning as the old-age social security after workers obtain the unemployment fund social security (JKP) is misleading and obscures the basic philosophy of JHT participation.

According to Mirah, JHT as social security could be justified so long workers are still employed and pay the dues based on the law, while those who are dismissed or resign are no longer listed as participants.

Thus, Mirah argued that there was no reason for the government to withhold funds belonging to workers who are no longer participants. She also asked the government to let former participants of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan withdraw their old-age benefits.

Mirah further recalled that the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) gave the government two weeks to revoke the JHT regulation. Otherwise, workers and labor unions will continue to hold rallies and other needed actions as a form of objections.

Read: Manpower Minister Deems Judicial Review Request on JHT Dynamics of Democracy

M. FAIZ ZAKI