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Job creation omnibus bill set to be passed into law at next House plenary session
The House of Representatives Legislation Body (Baleg) and the government have agreed to pass into law the controversial omnibus bill on job creation in the next plenary session on Oct. 8, despite mounting opposition from members of the public – including labor groups – in recent months.
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Workers stage a rally in front of the House of Representatives complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Aug. 25. They opposed the omnibus bill on job creation and called for the government to do more to prevent mass layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. JP/Seto Wardhana (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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he House of Representatives Legislation Body (Baleg) and the government have agreed to pass into law the controversial omnibus bill on job creation in the next plenary session on Oct. 8, despite mounting opposition from members of the public – particularly labor groups – in recent months.
“[The bill] has been approved for the next stage of the deliberation,” said Baleg chairman Supratman Andi Agtas during a meeting with members of the government on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com.
Supratman said seven House factions had conveyed their approval of the bill during the meeting: the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar, Gerindra, NasDem, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP).
Two other factions – the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) – objected to the bill, he said.
Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who was among the government representatives present during the meeting, said the government appreciated the speedy and “transparent” deliberation of the bill.
He said the bill would improve bureaucratic efficiency and cut unnecessary red tape, particularly in regard to business permits and investments.
Read also: Guide to omnibus bill on job creation: 1,028 pages in 10 minutes
Furthermore, he claimed the bill would also be beneficial to the country’s workers, saying that the regulation would ensure safety nets for employees, such as new severance terms in the event of layoffs.
Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Bahlil Lahadalia said last month the government had been preparing the implementing regulations for the articles in the bill that had been agreed upon by lawmakers.
The government is trying to revise 79 prevailing laws and more than 1,200 articles with the omnibus bill. The bill, which is more than 1,000 pages long and contains 174 articles in 15 chapters, has faced a backlash from labor unions, observers and NGOs that argue it will jeopardize labor rights and weaken environmental protection, among other issues. (rfa)
