Today, Workers Continue The National Strike

Illustrated / VOI

JAKARTA - The President of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal said today workers are back on a national strike as a form of protest against the ratification of the Job Creation Law.

"After yesterday hundreds of thousands and even nearly one million workers left the factories to join the national strike, today we will continue the strike," Said Iqbal said in a press statement, reported by Antara, in Jakarta, Wednesday, October 7.

Said denied the accusation that the strike was illegal, citing Law (UU) No.9 / 1998 on Freedom to Express Opinions in Public and Article 4 of Law No.21 / 2000 which states that labor unions have the function of planning, executing, and the person in charge of the workers / labor strike in accordance with statutory regulations.

He also cited Law No.39 / 1999 on Human Rights and Law No. 12/2005 on Ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Said argued that the workers' actions were carried out in an orderly, peaceful, and without anarchy to ask the government and DPR RI to cancel the Omnibus Law because there are fundamental problems in the Job Creation Law that are detrimental to workers.

The fundamental issues that harm workers in the law passed on Monday, October 5, according to him, include reducing severance pay, implementing a contract and outsourcing system, setting a minimum wage, and the potential loss of health insurance and pensions for workers due to the application of the contract system and outsourcing.

In order to protest against the law's passage, according to Said, the national strike action since Tuesday, October 6 was carried out in a number of areas including Serang, Cilegon, Tangerang, Jakarta, Depok, Bogor, Bekasi, Karawang, Purwakarta, Cianjur, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Pasuruan, Gresik, Mojokerto, Lampung, Medan, Deli Serdang, Batam, Banda Aceh, Banjarmasin and Gorontalo.

Said reminded workers to prioritize health and avoid the risk of transmitting COVID-19 by wearing masks and keeping their distance during the action.