Job Creation Law Scraps Workers' Rights for Two Days Off Per Week

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) agreed to change the rights of workers for weekly rest in the Omnibus Law on Job Creation that has been passed by the parliament on Monday, October 5, 2020.

“I ask for approval in this plenary session: can we agree [to pass the bill on jobs]? Agreed,” said the House Deputy Speaker Azis Syamsuddin, followed by the knock of the mallet which marked the passage of the omnibus bill into law in the Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta.

Based on the copy of the law, workers’ rights for two days off per week that was regulated in Article 79 paragraph 2(b) of Law No. 13/2003 was diminished.

The new law noted only one day off per six days of work, while the previous policy, Law No. 13/2003 on Manpower, regulated one day rest per six days of working in a week or two days rest per five days of working in a week.

Additionally, the newly-passed Omnibus Law on Job Creation changed workers’ rights for long leave. It said that long days of rest would only be regulated in work contracts, company regulations, or collective agreements. There is no detailed provision on the matter.

Whereas, the previous law noted detailed provisions on long leave, saying that long leave for at least two months could be granted to workers in their seventh or eighth year of working at one month each year.

The long leave could be granted on conditions that workers have been with the company for six consecutive years, and they would no longer have the rights for annual rest in the two years.

Read also: Kadin Claims Job Creation Law Can Fight Off Investment Challenges

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA