By: Angga Gumilar )*
The Coalition for Action to Save Indonesia (KAMI) continues to provoke in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the community is disappointed because at this time KAMI are also provoking workers for demonstrations and mass strikes.
The Presidium of the Coalition for Action to Save Indonesia (KAMI) Gatot Nurmantyo has called for support for the national labor strike plan against the Workplace Bill. KAMI also reject the Job Creation Bill or often called the Omnibus Law Bill.
Regarding the planned national labor strike on October 6-8, KAMI support constitutional steps. KAMI also appeal to regional networks and civil society movements to help workers fight for their rights.
He argued that one of the roles of saving Indonesia was to thwart the ratification of the Job Creation Bill.
However, the Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) had previously issued an appeal regarding a national strike plan which was rumored to be carried out by workers or laborers ahead of the ratification of the labor cluster in the Job Creation Bill.
Apindo also appealed to its members to be able to provide education to workers or laborers regarding the provisions on labor strikes including the sanctions that can be imposed if the strike is carried out not in accordance with the provisions, especially in Law 13 of 2003 concerning labor.
Of course, the workers should not be easily provoked by the presence of Gatot Nurmantyo, because his arrival could be aimed at gaining public sympathy. In fact, it would be better for workers to study the substance of the Job Creation Bill first, because previously the government had discussed and exchanged opinions with workers’ representatives.
Labor observer from the Indonesian Consultant at Law (ICLAW), Hemasari Dharmabumi, said that the Job Creation Bill has a minimum wage regulation because it will provide welfare guarantees for workers.
According to him, the minimum wage provisions in the Job Creation Bill will have a positive impact on several things.
He explained that there would only be 2 types of minimum wages stipulated in the Job Creation Bill, namely provincial minimum wages and labor-intensive industries. For regional minimum wages, such as district drinking wages (UMK) and district sectoral minimum wages (UMSK) will be lost.
According to Hemasari, the Job Creation Bill will actually restore the main objective of the minimum wage as a safety net. The regulation also stipulates that the minimum wage applies to workers or laborers with a working period of less than one year at the company concerned.
He explained that the minimum wage should be the benchmark wage for people who work on probationary terms or under one year. For workers who have worked for more than that time, the wage cannot be the same as the minimum wage, it must be above the minimum wage on the wage scale.
On a different occasion, Bambang Arianto as Director of the Institute for Digital Democracy (IDD) said, the Job Creation Bill can be a basis for workers ‘safety from termination of employment (PHK) and revising workers’ minimum wages. In the Job Creation Bill, there is a provision that asks companies to be able to provide a standard or safety net regarding the minimum wage for new employees through the provincial minimum wage.
Bambang said that in the Job Creation Bill there is a provision that asks companies to be able to provide a standard or safety net regarding the minimum wage for new employees through the provincial minimum wage.
Previously, the DPR RI also received representatives from trade unions to discuss crucial issues in the Job Creation Bill.
During the meeting, they agreed to form a drafting team for the Ciptaker Bill.
At least 9 points were discussed at the meeting, including those related to wages and severance pay.
Meanwhile, the results of a survey conducted by the Statistics Department of the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and the Cyrus Network revealed that the majority of workers and job seekers tended to support the completion of the work copyright omnibus law bill. This is based on the fact that the regulation is considered to be able to expand employment and improve labor welfare.
IPB Professor of Statistics Khairil Anwar said, as many as 86% of workers and job seekers agreed that the Job Creation Bill was intended to create the widest possible job.
The survey was conducted in 10 cities in Indonesia, including Pekanbaru, Medan, Palembang, Jakarta, Surabaya, Banjarmasin and Makassar.
According to Khairil, the survey data shows the high number of workers and job seekers agreeing to the aims and objectives of the Job Creation Bill.
Through these statistics, of course we need to be careful if in the labor action there is provocation from a few people who want to get a political stage.
)* The author is a contributor to the Cikini Press Circle and Students