Thousands of Workers Set to Protest Tapera and Job Creation Law in Palace Today

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thousands of workers from the Labor Party are ready to demonstrate in front of the palace on Thursday, June 6. They will urge President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to revoke the policy on the public housing savings or Tapera program, which deducts 3 percent of workers' salaries per month. The new rule is stipulated in Government Regulation (PP) No. 21 of 2024 on the amendments to PP No. 25 of 2020

Said Iqbal, the President of the Labor Party and the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), announced that the workers would express their rejection of the Tapera program in today’s march starting from Jakarta City Hall.

“Workers will also voice their demands to revoke the PP on BPJS Kesehatan Standard Inpatient Room (KRIS) program, against the high single tuition fee (UKT) [of universities], to revoke the omnibus law on the Job Creation Law, and to revoke outsourcing and reject low wages (HOSTUM),” he said in a written statement, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

In addition to the demonstration, the Labor Party and KSPI planned to file a judicial review of the PP Tapera Law to the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court.

Previously, Said outlined six reasons why PP Tapera should be revoked. Among them is the lack of guarantee that workers will possess a house through the program, and that the 3-percent cut would further burden workers as their salaries have been subject to cuts of almost 12 percent per month, including income tax of 5 percent, health insurance of 1 percent, pension insurance of 1 percent, and old age insurance of 2 percent.

“Not to mention if workers have cooperative or company debt. This will further burden workers' costs of living,” he said.

ADIL AL HASAN

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