Claims For Old Age Security Drastically Increase, Labor Unions: Massive Layoffs Are True

Illustrated. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - BPJS Ketenagakerjaan or now known as BP Jamsostek reports that throughout 2020 there has been an increase in claims. One of the highest is the claim on Old Age Security (JHT) due to termination of employment (PHK).

Responding to this, the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal said the increase in JHT claims was evidence of massive layoffs.

"The large-scale layoffs were marked by a decrease in the number of BPJS Kesehatan memberships, while at the same time taking JHT increased drastically," he said, in a written statement received by VOI, Tuesday, January 19.

According to Iqbal, the mass layoffs occurred in the manufacturing industry sector. Because, workers who have JHT must be workers who work in the formal sector or the manufacturing industry.

"Currently there is a second wave of massive layoffs in the manufacturing industry sector, both labor and capital intensive," he said.

Iqbal said, previously there had also been the first wave of layoffs in the tourism industry sector and its derivatives as well as MSMEs. The workers who experienced layoffs in the first wave were not absorbed by the workforce yet, now an explosion of layoffs has occurred again.

"KSPI asks the government to immediately resolve the three problems above. Especially at this time, these problems are in sight," he said.

For your information, based on data from BP Jamsostek, of the total claims of Rp. 36.5 trillion, the increase in JHT claims reached 15.22 percent or as many as 2.2 million in filing claims with a nominal value which also jumped 24.25 percent or Rp. 26.64 trillion.

President Director of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (BP Jamsostek) Agus Susanto said that the payment of claims disbursed had increased by 20.01 percent.

As for the details of the total Rp36.5 trillion in guarantees that have been disbursed to workers, including claims for Old Age Security (JHT) reaching Rp.33.1 trillion for 2.5 million cases, Death Security (JKM) for 34.7 thousand cases with nominal amounting to IDR 1.35 trillion, Work Accident Insurance (JKK) for 221.7 thousand cases with a nominal value of IDR 1.55 trillion, and Pension Security (JP) for 97.5 thousand cases with a nominal value of IDR 489.47 billion.

Despite a surge in guarantee disbursement throughout 2020, the registration process for new participants is claimed to continue. So that a total of 50.72 million workers have registered as BP Jamsostek participants by the end of December 2020.