Job Creation Omnibus Bill Passed Into Law; Workers Insist to Hold Strike

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least two million workers who are members of 32 labor union confederations would stick to their plan to hold a national strike on Tuesday, October 6, until Thursday, October 8, despite the controversial omnibus bill on job creation has been passed into law.

The strike would be carried out based on the Law No. 9/1998 on the Freedom of Speech in Public Spaces and Law No.21/2000 on Labor Unions.

“Besides, the legal basis for the national strike that we planned is Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights and Law No. 12/2005 on the Ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” said the President of the Indonesian Worker Union Confederation (KSPI), Said Iqbal, in a statement on Monday, October 5, 2020.

He explained that the strike would be held simultaneously in more than 20 provinces, including West Java, Jakarta, Banten, Yogyakarta, Riau Islands, Bengkulu, Riau, Lampung, NTB, Maluku, Gorontalo, up to Papua and West Papua.

Workers in industrial sectors, namely chemicals, energy, mining, textiles, garments, shoes, automotive, electronics, as well as the iron and steel industry, would join the strike. Those working in the pharmaceutical and health sectors, printing and publishing, the tourism industry, the cement industry, telecommunications, transportation, port, logistics, banking, and others would also attend.

They would narrate their objections to the passage of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation and urge several demands, such as severance payments, length of service, working time, rights for leave and paid leave, as well as health insurance and pension rights for contract and outsourced employees.

“Rules on layoffs, criminal sanctions against employers, and foreign workers must remain in accordance with the Law No. 13 of 2003,” Said underlined.

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FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA