Tiara Aliya Azzahra, Jakarta – The Labour Party has declared that it agrees with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's move to issue Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 2/2022 on the Job Creation Law. The Labour Party views the move as better than revisions to the law being left to the House of Representatives (DPR), which they do not trust.
"So a Perppu is allowed, so we hold to the first option [of a Perppu] rather than it being given to the DPR that we don't trust", said Labour Party President Said Iqbal at a virtual press conference on Saturday December 31.
Iqbal said that the Labour Party does not trust the DPR that enacted the Jobs Law in the first place. He believes the move taken by Widodo is in accordance with prevailing stipulations, namely there are emergency grounds for issuing the Perppu.
"(Although) the government and the Labour Party's reasons are different, an emergency like I said earlier, but the emergency of wages never going up, the emergency of widespread outsourcing, easy to sack workers, easy hiring, easy firing, the emergency of contract workers, and again and again low severance pay", he said.
"It is based on this that we prefer a Perppu", he added.
Iqbal admitted however that he does not yet know the contents of the Perppu issued by the government and claimed he is ready to fight it if it turns out that it further harms workers.
"If the contents of the Perppu are not in accordance with the expectations proposed by the Labour Party and trade union organisations, then of course we will reject the Perppu. Of course there are again legal steps determining the judicial steps, the struggle to hold actions", he said.
Iqbal said that the Labour Party held a number of discussions with the government on the Job Creation Law that was declared conditionally unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. At the very least, said Iqbal, there were nine points that they proposed be revised, specifically on the cluster of labour related stipulations.
"The issue of the Perppu version proposed by the Labour Party and trade unions was even discussed with the Kadin [the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry] team, dialogue, social dialogue. Our position is to return to Law Number 13/2002 [on Labour] which is red. So rather than playing games and it being discussed by the DPR that we don't trust, it was just politicised and full of lies at the time. We don’t' want to fall into the same hole again", he said.
"I trust that President Jokowi listens providing there are strong arguments. I'm convinced the Perppu's contents are in accordance with our expectations", he added.
As has been reported, Widodo issued a Perppu on the Job Creation Law. With the issuance of the Perppu, the government considers that last year's Constitutional Court's ruling that the law is conditionally unconstitutional has now been annulled.
The Perppu, which Widodo issued on Friday December 30, was announced by Coordinating Economics Minister Airlangga Hartarto. "And today Perppu Number 2/2022 was issued, dated December 30, 2022", said Hartarto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
Hartarto said that Widodo has already contacted DPR Speaker Puan Maharani about the Perppu and that it is in accordance with prevailing legislation.
"And earlier Bapak [Mr] President consulted with and spoke with the DPR speaker. In principle the DPR speaker has been informed about the Perppu on the Job Creation Law. And this [is in line with] legislative guidelines and the Constitutional Court's ruling", said Hartarto.
Widodo also revealed that the reason for issuing the Perppu, saying the uncertain global situation was a consideration.
"So why indeed a Perppu, we know that [economic situation] appears normal but we are haunted by the threat of global uncertainty, I have repeatedly conveyed this to several countries that are also patients of the IMF [the International Monetary Fund], 14 [countries]. Twenty-eight other [countries] are at the IMF's door also wanting to become patients", said Widodo.
Widodo said that the global situation at the moment is not good and asserted that the Perppu on the Jobs Law was issued to ensure legal certainty [for investors]. (taa/haf)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Partai Buruh Setuju Jokowi Bikin Perppu Ciptaker: Daripada Dikasih ke DPR".]
