By : Ananda Prameswari )*
The Perppu on Job Creation has just passed the DPR RI so that the name becomes the Job Creation Law. But unfortunately there are parties who demonstrated against it. Demonstrations must be watched out for because they could be ridden by unscrupulous persons, and become a platform for the popularity of the political elite.
Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) number 2 of 2022 has been ratified so that the legal status is not a Perppu, but a law. This law was passed for the sake of economic stability in Indonesia. Especially after the pandemic, when the country’s financial condition was unstable.
The ratification of the Job Creation Perppu into the Job Creation Law is hot news. However, this became a burning ember that burned the emotions of the workers. They threatened to stage a massive demonstration, which was accompanied by a mass strike.
The Labor Party has decided to carry out a massive rejection of the omnibus law on the Job Creation Law and Permenaker Number 5 of 2023. As many as 5 million workers will take part in a national strike and demonstrations to be held between July and August 2023.
The President of the Labor Party, Said Iqbal stated that this national strike would expand like what happened in France. Where workers will stop the production process and then leave the workplace to a specified point.
Said Iqbal continued, the exact date (mass strike and demonstration) will be announced 1 month in advance to notify employers and the public about the plan. The trade unions will instruct action by stopping production, leaving the factory, then moving to one point.
The form of activity in this national strike was to gather in front of the factory, stop production, and most of those who went on national strike came to government offices. In Jakarta it will be concentrated at three points, namely the Palace, the Indonesian Parliament and the Constitutional Court. While others stop production and visit the Governor’s or Regent/Mayor’s Office in their respective regions. According to Said Iqbal, the areas that will take part in the national strike include 38 provinces.
Demonstrations against the Job Creation Law must be watched out for. First, this is still a pandemic period (even though the spread of the Corona virus has subsided). Second, these demonstrations are prone to being ridden by political elites and interest groups, so that they become more popular.
Currently Said Iqbal is the President of the Labor Party and the demonstration against the Job Creation Law is not purely to criticize government policies. However, he has the ambition to popularize his party and himself so that the people of Indonesia will later be elected in the 2024 election.
The demonstration was the right moment because it was covered by many media so that Said Iqbal, as the President of the Labor Party, became even more famous and hoped to have a good name in the eyes of the public, even though this was only for his own interests. The workers should not be fooled by his speeches and they must also be wary of him because it is only used as a tool to gain Iqbal’s or the party’s popularity.
The public is expected to be wary of demonstrations like this because it is certain that the majority of the participants are not pure labourers, but paid people. Do not sympathize with them because it is feared that demonstrations will cause traffic jams and end in chaos.
Political observer Rudi S. Kamri stated that the workers who were going to demonstrate with Said Iqbal cs were only being used and driven by certain groups. The accusation that the Job Creation Law will harm workers is not based on correct logic.
The workers should not speak casually and then be provoked into demonstrating. As an educated worker, you should do research so you don’t fall for it and accuse the Job Creation Law of being detrimental. They must not be provoked by interest groups and then act anarchically and harm themselves and others.
If there is a political elite who orders the workers to demonstrate, then this is their strategy, because the protesters are to blame. The workers are only used as shields, even though the real perpetrators are members of the political elite and interest groups.
The people themselves do not believe the accusations of the workers and do not sympathize with the demonstrations, because they feel for themselves that President Jokowi has really worked for the prosperity of Indonesia. The Job Creation Law made during his reign will have a positive impact on society.
The political elite and interest groups deliberately manipulate the workers because they are easily aroused by their emotions, at the slightest provocation they will immediately become angry and criticize. The interest groups that manipulated the students deliberately did so in order to destroy the peace in Indonesia.
Therefore, the public is asked to be aware of demonstrations against the Job Creation Law. The workers are also expected to be wiser by not participating in demonstrations, let alone striking, because it will harm themselves. Especially for those who are paid daily and lose money due to demonstrations. Demonstrations are very prone to being ridden by political elites who want to popularize themselves and their interest groups, and workers don’t want to be fooled.
)* The author is a Media Room Contributor