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Unions, analysts, opposition parties condemn jobs Perppu
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Workers from different labor unions, farmers and students display posters as they rally outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta on March 14, 2023, demanding the cancellation of the controversial government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on job creation, which they claim is not in their interests. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
F
rustration is mounting as a growing number of interest groups reject the passage of a controversial regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on job creation, arguing that the process has been “constitutionally defective” and “undemocratic” from the outset.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo signed in December 2022 the Perppu to resuscitate the Job Creation Law, which was declared “conditionally unconstitutional” by the Constitutional Court in 2021 because it used the unrecognized omnibus method to revise multiple laws at once and was deliberated with minimal public participation.
The top court gave the government and the House of Representatives an ultimatum to redo the lawmaking process within two years or risk it being permanently revoked. Instead, the government issued the Perppu after it cut corners with lawmakers by enacting another law that allows the use of omnibus methods.
The Perppu, which must be passed by a House plenary session to become permanent legislation, had secured wide support from the House Legislative Body (Baleg) in February, with all pro-government parties having firmly supported the Jokowi administration’s decision from the get-go.
During a House plenary to confirm the passage of the Perppu on Tuesday, seven of the nine House political party factions agreed to pass the legislation, while the opposition Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) raised objections to the move.
Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who represented the government on Tuesday, cited an urgent need to mitigate a looming global economic crisis as the rationale behind the regulation’s issuance.
However, the clamor of opposition by labor groups and good governance experts has seemed to grow louder by the day.
