Jakarta – Labour Party President Said Iqbal has invited Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Chairperson and president elect Prabowo Subianto to a party event that will be held on September 18.
The invitation was delivered by Iqbal to Gerindra Party Managing Chairperson and House of Representatives (DPR) Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad at the parliament complex in Jakarta on Friday September 13.
"The event, a special Labor Party event, has indeed invited Pak [Mr] Prabowo, because we are commemorating three years of the working class in politics, right, that's the event", Iqbal told journalists after giving the invitation to Ahmad.
"And we through Pak Dasco invited Pak Prabowo and asked if Pak Prabowo will be willing to attend", he continued.
Besides Prabowo, the Labor Party also invited the chairpersons of several other political parties. Furthermore, Iqbal said he believes Prabowo will accept the invitation.
"It's confirmed (confirmation), he'll attend. Earlier it was to be the 13th, but he [Prabowo] was summoned to a cabinet meeting at the IKN [the new national capital Nusantara], yeah. So we moved it to the 18th, it's confirmed", he said.
Review Jobs Law, revoke outsourcing
Iqbal also said that he hopes that Prabowo will reconsider policies that impact on workers' welfare. "There are six hopes we will try to convey to him as policy considerations after he's inaugurated as president", said Iqbal at the parliamentary complex.
These six hopes are demands that have been fought for by protesting workers in their demonstrations. First, Iqbal is asking that the cluster of labour related regulations in the Omnibus Law on Job Creation (Cipta Kerja) be revoked.
"We're asking for a review of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation, especially the labour related cluster, we're asking that if it be revoked, reviewed", said Iqbal.
Second, Iqbal is demanding a decent wage for workers. Third, he is asking that outsourcing systems be abolished.
Furthermore, Iqbal is urging that agrarian reform and food sovereignty be a priority for the incoming Prabowo government. He is also asking that teachers and honorary staff be appointed as state civil servants (PNS) as well the provision of free education up to tertiary level.
"Right, Pak Prabowo with his free nutritious food [program for school children], free education up to tertiary level, right, are populist programs. We must support them", he said.
Furthermore, Iqbal hopes that Prabowo's incoming government will be more in favour of the little people, including workers, farmers, fishers and teachers.
"For 10 years we have been close to him [Prabowo], and now he's been elected as president of Indonesia, hopefully these hopes can be realised", he said.
-- Rahel Narda Chaterine, Ihsanuddin, Rahel Narda Chaterine and Bagus Santosa
[Translated by James Balowski from two articles by Kompas.com on September 13. The original title of the lead article was "Temui Dasco, Said Iqbal Undang Prabowo ke Acara Partai Buruh".]
