Action against the Omnibus Law on Job Creation. Around 5 million workers from various companies spread across 25 provinces and 300 regencies/cities will take to the streets and conduct a national strike, Wednesday (30/9/2020).
Quoted from detikcom, President of the Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI), Said Iqbal said the national strike would be carried out during a plenary session at the Indonesian House of Representatives and would last for three consecutive days from October 6 to October 8, 2020.
“In the national strike, we will stop the production process. Where the workers will leave the production site and gather at the location determined by each union at the company level,” said Said Iqbal, Monday (28/9/2020).
Said Iqbal explained the reason why the workers had to reject the Omnibus Law on Job Creation, that the bill was more profitable for entrepreneurs than the workers. He gave examples such as the waiver of the use of contract labor and outsourcing in all types of work and without time limits, the elimination of the Regency/City Sectoral Minimum Wage (UMSK), and the reduction of severance pay.
“From the beginning we asked that the minimum protection for workers in Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Manpower should not be reduced. But the fact is that the omnibus law reduces the rights of workers in the existing law,” said Said.
Said Iqbal ensured that this call for a national strike would be followed by almost all trade unions in Indonesia. It does not even rule out the possibility that non-unionized workers will also go on strike.
“Apart from workers, various elements are also ready to take joint action to reject the Omnibus Law on the Job Creation Bill, namely students, farmers, fishermen, civil society, indigenous peoples, environmental activists, human rights activists, and others,” he said.
Prior to the national strike, the workers also plan to hold daily demonstrations which are planned from September 29 to October 8, 2020. They will also hold simultaneous national actions throughout Indonesia, which are planned for October 1 and October 8.
The workers involved include several industrial sectors. Such as chemical, energy, mining, textile, garment, shoes, automotive and components, electronics and components, iron and steel industry, pharmaceutical and healthcare, printing and publishing, tourism industry, cement industry, telecommunications, transportation workers, port workers, logistics, banking, and others.
The targets of the labor action in Jakarta are the State Palace, the Office of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, the Office of the Minister of Manpower, and the Indonesian House of Representatives. While in the regions, it will be centered in the governor’s office or the local DPRD. Therefore, Iqbal asked the Indonesian House of Representatives not to ratify the Omnibus Law on Job Creation during the plenary session on October 8.
