Exclusive, Labor Party President, Said Iqbal: Continue To Fight Modern Slavery

Slavery is the greatest challenge to be faced, even in modern times. Because of that, Labor Party President Said Iqbal emphasized that his party would continue to fight against modern slavery. (Photo by Savic Rabos, DI Raga VOI)

The struggle to abolish slavery has been carried out by various parties since centuries ago. But along with the development and advancement of technology, the practice of slavery was transformed. Because of this, the President of the Labor Party, Ir. Said Iqbal, ME, emphasized that he and his party will continue to fight against slavery in this modern era.

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The Omnibus Law The Job Creation Law for the Labor Party is a symbol of perpetuating modern slavery. Previously, this law was rejected and declared conditionally unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court (MK), then the government issued Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation or Perpu Ciptaker. Over time, this Perpu was later passed into law. The government together with the DPR RI established Perpu No. 2 of 2023 becomes Law no. 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation.

Even though most parties in parliament have accepted it, the Labor Party still rejects the Ciptaker Law. They are the only political party that is adamantly opposed to the presence of this law through a judicial review at the Constitutional Court, because its contents are burdensome to laborers and workers. "The articles in this law allow for lifelong outsourcing, which can actually be considered a form of modern slavery," explained Said Iqbal, who is also the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI).

On August 9 and 10 2023, workers took to the streets again to oppose the presence of this law. When their aspirations are not accommodated, they will continue to protest. "If our demands are ignored, we will return to a mass strike. Hopefully the judges at the Constitutional Court will listen to the dynamics that are developing. When justice is not found in the courtroom, the Labor Party and the labor movement, farmers, fishermen and others will seek justice in the street," explained Said Iqbal.

As a segmented party, Said Iqbal is optimistic that they will make it into parliament. They are not afraid of the waves of money politics that often occur before the vote. "Labor Party members are members of the Workers' and Peasants' Unions who have a steady income. They will not be tempted by money politics, because they will not risk their fate just for a meager amount of money," he said.

In the matter of Presidential Candidates until now, the Labor Party has not yet decided who to channel their aspirations to. Of the three presidential candidates circulating, namely Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, and Prabowo Subianto, they are still being monitored. There are two other names that are sticking out, namely from within: Said Iqbal and another independent candidate, namely Najwa Shihab.

According to Said Iqbal, there is still a process that must be passed before they narrow down their choices. "It is also possible that there will also be a presidential candidate convention from the Labor Party to embrace various candidates. From there, there will be two or three candidates who will be brought to the party prisedium meeting," he told Edy Suherli, Irfan Medianto and Dandy Januar, during a visit to the office VOI in the Tanah Abang area, Central Jakarta, recently. Here's the interview.

According to Labor Party President Said Iqbal, technological advances cannot be resisted. Adaptation is the key. (Photo by Savic Rabos, DI Raga VOI)

The Labor Party held another demonstration over the Job Creation Law on August 9 and 10. This time, what other crucial points are the demands focused on?

The Labor Party is a working class party that struggles to promote working class issues. What makes this party different from the others? First, the Labor Party wherever it is in the world must have a base consisting of the working class, laborers, farmers, fishermen, and so on. Second, the issues being fought for relate to laborers, farmers, fishermen, the urban poor, women workers, migrant workers, domestic workers, honorary workers, and so on. Third, party members are obliged to pay dues, so that there is no influence from certain parties within the Labor Party, and this applies throughout the world. With these three principles, we believe we can pass the parliamentary threshold. In our struggle, we do not avoid the issues mentioned above to be fought for or fought against.

One important issue is the omnibus law, Ciptaker Law No. 6 of 2023, which became the basis for the revival of the Labor Party as a political party. Previously, the Labor Party was founded by Prof. Dr. Mochtar Pakpahan SH, MA. However, in the previous two elections, the party failed to meet the requirements and was forced to quit. On October 5, 2020, the party was revived by 11 labor, farmer, fisherman and other organizations. The main goal is to fight and abolish the Ciptaker Law. The provisions of this law allow for lifelong outsourcing, which could in fact be considered a form of modern slavery. I myself know this for certain because I am a member of the ILO Governing Body based in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition, there are issues of low wages, wage uncertainty, menstruation leave rights, the entry of unskilled foreign workers, and other problems.

What else to focus on?

Apart from the omnibus law on the Job Creation Law, the Health Law is also detrimental to the common people. What we are focusing on is that the health expenditure bonds, which so far have been paid by BPJS when we are sick, have been changed into more efficient programs in the Health Law. In this new program, treatment costs for certain conditions, such as heart disease, are shared among program participants due to efficiency considerations. In addition, the inpatient room category is no longer valid, and everything is normalized to a standard level. This policy favored large hospitals owned by conglomerates, while small hospitals owned by local people became marginalized. What we emphasize is about justice and equity; if this continues, then the big hospitals and big pharmaceutical companies will control this system, including the distribution of drugs. In addition, small shops owned by residents will be pressured by modern retailers who are increasingly expanding into remote areas. This is similar to the planned abolition of pertalite and the introduction of Pertamax, which is a non-sharing capitalist act.

Regarding the 15 percent wage increase that you and your fellow workers are fighting for, where is the calculation from?

As a middle-income country, workers' income should reach US$4,500 or around 67.5 million rupiah per year at an exchange rate of 15,000 rupiah per dollar. This means that the minimum wage for workers should be around 5.6 million rupiah per month. However, Jakarta's UMR has only reached 4.9 million rupiah. With an increase to 5.6 million rupiah, the increase needed is around 700 thousand rupiah or around 15 percent. In other areas, the UMR is still much lower, and this is one of the things we need to gradually strive for.

Survey results from research institutes and KSPI show that there are 65 proper basic needs, including rice, sugar, and so on. In addition, there are needs for education, health, housing rental costs, transportation, and so on. There were three categories that experienced the most significant increases, including housing, transportation and food costs. Based on this data, we set a 15 percent increase in the UMR that we demand.

Labor Party President Said Iqbal emphasized that there are no financiers who fund their parties, all from member dues. (Photo by Savic Rabos, DI Raga VOI)

Overseas, wages can be flexible, can be very high or standard, depending on labor productivity. When workers generate income, companies do not hesitate to pay large wages. What's your feedback?

We agree that wages should be measured in terms of productivity. There are two types of wages; minimum wage for workers with a maximum working period of one year. In the UMR, productivity is not taken into account, because workers are still new. The goal is to avoid extreme poverty. There must be a standard cost of living. Further, there are productivity-dependent wages, which depend on length of service, skills, and technology. In these three aspects, Indonesia is ranked third lowest in ASEAN. Our textile machine technology is obsolete. So the productivity of Vietnamese workers looks higher because they have new machines.

However, when it comes to skills, Indonesian workers are above average. It is proven by the leading shoe brands that provide class A ratings for factories in Indonesia. Although the technology is low, the skills of our workers are high. This also applies to the textile and garment industry, where products made in Indonesia are more expensive compared to other countries. According to employment trends in 2014, the average monthly wage in Indonesia was US$174, Vietnam US$181, Thailand US$259, and Malaysia US$526. Actually, Indonesia should be an investment destination for other countries, but unfortunately our government and employers don't really appreciate their workers.

In the political field, are you also fighting for the presidential threshold and the parliamentary threshold?

Currently, the parliamentary threshold is 4 percent and the presidential threshold is 20 percent. This causes this country to lose the best candidate for the leader. They cannot appear because they are hampered by this regulation. Supposedly, thresholds can be abolished completely. If there are 18 parties that propose presidential candidates, let them compete. In the second round, only the two candidates with the most votes will advance. Let the people vote, don't be limited by unfair rules.

What are your estimates for the results of the upcoming elections, both in percentage of the vote and in the number of seats?

Research and development Labor Party predicts it will win 30 seats. However, if we count the second most votes, for example, there are 10 seats in one electoral area and we are in 9th place with 4,650,000 valid votes, we still need 6.4 million votes to reach the parliamentary threshold of 4 percent. If it is not achieved, we will lose our place in parliament. That's why we urgently remove the threshold.

We also press for agrarian reform policies, food sovereignty, rejection of food import policies, as well as demands for the ratification of the PURT Bill which has been delayed for years.

How many members are there in the Labor Party today?

The number of our labor members is around 10 million throughout Indonesia. If we multiply by the number of family members, around 3 people per family (1 wife, 1 child), then there are around 24 million people involved. This is what we make the most of. In Pareto theory, in a randomly drawn population, we are optimistic that we can get 20 percent. This means that out of the 24 million people, we are optimistic that we will get around 4.8 million votes with a target of 30 seats in the DPR RI. The target for the parliamentary threshold is 6.4 million votes. Meanwhile, for the Provincial DPRD, our target is 100 seats throughout Indonesia. And for the Regency/Municipal DPRD, the target is 700 seats. We pray that our plan will get the blessing of Allah SWT. Hopefully it will become a breakthrough like the labor party in other countries.

Initially the Job Creation (Ciptaker) Law was rejected, but the government issued a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perpu) and finally this was promulgated. What do you think about this?

The Labor Party is the only political party that has filed a lawsuit for a judicial review of the Ciptaker Law to the Constitutional Court. We are not afraid to fight for this, and this is in accordance with the space given by our constitution. On August 9 and 10, we already had demonstrations. If our demands are ignored, we will go back to mass strikes. Hopefully the judges at the Constitutional Court listen to the dynamics that are developing. When justice is not found in the MK courtroom, the Labor Party and the labor movement, farmers, fishermen and others will seek justice on the streets.

How do you explain the viral video showing high-ranking Labor Party officials eating Japanese food during the August 9 and 10 demonstrations? Have you and your team conducted an investigation? Who is suspected of being the culprit?

Of course, we are ready to provide an explanation regarding the viral video. The video is a heavy blow to the Labor Party for coming at a time when we are struggling. However, the video is a hoax which is not true. In the video, I can be seen eating grilled food, but what actually happened is I ate at our workplace called Reses. Reses is a business owner who employs laid off workers in Cilacap. The incident occurred on July 22 2023 at the Cilacap Oil and Gas Trade Union Federation office, while the demonstration in question took place on August 10. Therefore, the time of occurrence is much different. I actually wanted to eat out, but friends suggested eating at the office. The food was served by them, and I decided to eat on the spot.

On August 9, I took part in a long march which was attended by tens of thousands of people. However, on August 10th, I was unable to participate in the demo due to illness. However, a hoax like this suddenly appeared. It is possible that certain parties wish to harm the Labor Party by spreading this false information. We have handed over this case to the police for further investigation. I surrender myself to Allah in the face of attacks on social media, because I myself am not very active on social media. However, when it was the party that was attacked, it hurt many members of the Labor Party.

Voters still tend to be pragmatic, and many are still affected by the "dawn attack". How do you deal with the threat of money politics?

Members of the Labor Party are members of the Workers' and Farmers' Unions who have a fixed income. They will not be seduced by the lure of money politics, for they will not risk their fate for a paltry sum. During the demonstrations, they even spent their own money without any pay. We staged demonstrations to demand next year's wage increases, the abolition of outsourcing, and improved working conditions. If there is a genuine struggle like this, they will stay committed. The key is our consistency in fighting for segmented issues for workers, farmers, fishermen, honorary workers, and others.

Does Labor have its own presidential candidate or will it support an existing candidate?

All the presidential candidates currently sticking out, such as Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, and Anies Baswedan, are the best figures we have. However, we are still working on having more than 3 presidential candidates that we can support. In other countries, many presidential candidates have emerged. Our effort is for the presidential threshold and parliamentary threshold to be zero percent. During the National Working Meeting later, we will determine the presidential candidates to be carried out, including names like Ganjar Pranowo, Said Iqbal, Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, and Najwa Shihab. There will also likely be a convention of Labor presidential candidates to embrace various candidates. From there, there will be two or three candidates who will be brought to the party prisedium meeting. Labor has one command, one fight and one win.

So, among the existing presidential candidates, Labor has not yet decided to support any of them?

Not yet, but we continue to monitor the progress of these names.

With the development of technology and artificial intelligence (AI), human workers are increasingly marginalized. What can workers do in the future?

Technological progress is a reality that cannot be avoided. We must adapt to these developments. The Industrial Revolution 1.0 began with the invention of the steam engine by James Watt. Despite causing layoffs, eventually things returned to normal. Then came the Industrial Revolution 2.0 with the invention of electricity by Thomas Alva Edison. There were layoffs again, but the situation recovered. After that, came the Industrial Revolution 3.0 which was marked by the invention of the computer. Currently, we are facing the Industrial Revolution 4.0 with the development of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The economy is moving from the offline world to the online world. Of course, this will also impact employment as some jobs have been replaced by machines and robots. Although many jobs will be lost, unexpected new jobs will also be created. We hope that jobs will remain available and there will be no massive layoffs.

This is Said Iqbal's way of getting rid of stress, it's easy and can be imitated

Labor Party President Said Iqbal has his own tips and tricks when under pressure, by praying and then going to sleep. (Photo by Savic Rabos, DI Raga VOI)

Everyone has their own way of dealing with pressure or stress levels. The President of the Labor Party, Ir. Said Iqbal, ME, has a surefire way to dispel the pressure that comes. You do this by praying and then going to bed, after waking up from sleep, the feeling of stress is gone.

Iqbal surrendered all matters to the Almighty. "Alhamdulillah, I have never been sad when pressure or problems have come. When a high level of tension comes, I pray, after that I sleep. That is the effective medicine that I do. People are confused why I never get too late when I get pressure," said the man who was born in Jakarta, July 5, 1968.

Everyone, continued Iqbal, must experience feelings of disappointment, sadness, depression, and so on, but all of that can be controlled. "I happen to be a Muslim, so I pray. Those of other religions please contemplate, draw closer to the Almighty and pray. Leave all the problems that exist and ask Him for guidance. After that, go to bed, wake up feeling fresh again," he continued. .

One thing that motivates and is believed to be true by Iqbal, is that with every difficulty there will be ease. "I always believe in God's word in Surah Al-Insyirah verse 6. Inna ma'al usri yusra, that actually after difficulties there will be ease. So don't be afraid, Allah will make a way for us. That is Allah's oath to himself, meaning that it is something very high in the religion that I adhere to. That is what my late mother taught me. So when I am attacked with various problems, I am strong," said the man who completed his Masters in Economics at UI.

As a public figure, Iqbal is often attacked by political opponents and people who are against him. Those who attack sometimes openly show their identity, sometimes they don't dare. Most recently, he was attacked with the hoax of eating sumptuous food during a labor action on August 10. Previously, he had been attacked with issues of luxury homes and shaking hands with Ganjar Pranowo, and many others.

Besides calming himself, he also calmed his family. "My late wife was stressed by the attack on the issue of a luxury home. I said don't be afraid, we are looking for it in a lawful way," said Iqbal, who was devastated when his wife left for good some time ago.

He again remembered his mother's advice, that everyone who does good will surely be accompanied by trials. "This kindness will be accompanied by slander or testing. Even the Prophet was treated like that, especially those of us who are nobody. Yesterday I was hit hard by a hoax attack whose aim was to destroy our reputation as leaders of the Labor Party. We are currently fighting, there are always attacks," he said.

Sometimes Iqbal is sad when he and his organization fight for workers' wages, but in his Labor Party office there are employees whose wages are paid late. "Fortunately our employees understand that the current conditions are struggling. But we still pay according to the rules even though it's a bit late. I'm not ashamed to open this up as an example," said Iqbal, who has learned a lot from meeting various people, because by associating with many people will get infinite knowledge.

Silat and Silat Movies

Apart from being entertained, there are things that Said Iqbal can learn by reading and watching silat films. (Photo by Savic Rabos, DI Raga VOI)

There is one more activity that Said Iqbal likes, namely reading and watching films on silat, karate, kung fu, and other types of martial arts. "I'm a fan of Jet Lee, Bruce Lee, and others. It's rare for filmmakers to make silat films now," he complained.

That's why when there are films made by domestic filmmakers, such as Merantau Film, The Golden Stick Warrior, Wiro Sableng, he doesn't miss watching them. "The films are not missed. The problem is I also devour all the books or comics from the film," he said.

One thing that is most often included in every silat film that he watches, is the matter of knights. "If you are wrong, you have the courage to admit you are wrong. Dare to uphold the truth and not be afraid of challenges, that is what is always reflected in warriors in silat stories and you should not be overbearing with the knowledge you gain. And the highest strength is when you can forgive," said Iqbal, who studied martial arts as a child. Betawi.

Unlike orderly organizational affairs, in matters of food Iqbal is rather weak. Even his son who is a doctor is no longer able to remind himself to abstain from certain foods in order to maintain health. "I was a eater with my late wife. Yes, if you are sick, you will seek treatment, hehehe," said the man who doesn't like to eat chicken, meat and milk.

If he gets the chance to lead this country, he will make culinary tourism a tourist destination. "If given the opportunity to lead, I will promote culinary tourism combined with modern and traditional music festivals in one place," said Iqbal who likes to see old architectural heritage such as old mosques, old churches, historical temples and other old buildings.

About Monster Nicknames

Said Iqbal is fully aware that there are risks from the struggle he is carrying out to defend the workers, including being called a monster or ghost. (Photo by Savic Rabos, DI Raga VOI)

There is a unique story about the progress of Said Iqbal who was so adamant in defending workers. Because it is so persistent, many people call it a monster or ghost. "There was a journalist from a Japanese media who was assigned to Indonesia and said that the Japanese feared him and called him a monster or ghost, hehehe," he laughed.

Instead of being angry at getting such a title, Iqbal even thought of it as a joke. "I said I was tough on policies that were not right for workers. But if you want to negotiate to find a solution, I can negotiate. Our country is in the middle-income country category, why are labor wages still low? Why are there still hungry? What's going on? " he asked.

For Said Iqbal, it is not a problem to be called by various nicknames, what is important is the goal of striving to reach the target. "I don't mind being called a Ghost, Monster, Devil, or other scary terms. What's important is that slowly our workers can change their destiny. I'm happy when our struggles have results, even though we have to go through these obstacles and strange nicknames," he concluded.

"The only political party that submitted a judicial review of the Ciptaker Law to the Constitutional Court is the Labor Party. We are not afraid to fight for it and this is the space given by our constitution. On 9 and 10 August 2023 we have demonstrated. If this is neglected, we will again carry out massive strike. Hopefully the MK judges listen to the dynamics that are developing. When the voice for justice is not found in the courtroom, the Labor Party and the movement of workers, farmers, fishermen and so on will choose to seek justice on the streets,"

Said Iqbal