Moh. Khory Alfarizi, Jakarta – Massive protesters from the Labor Party and Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI) will rallied in front of the State Palace and Constitutional Court today Wednesday, July 6, 2023.
"We inform you that thousands of workers will hold a mass protest," written in the invitation received on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. The mass protest is aimed to fight against the Job Creation Act.
The rally will start at 10:30 a.m. with the gathering point at Arjuna Wijaya Statue, Central Jakarta. The protest will consist of three claims. First, annul the Job Creation Act omnibus law; second, increase the 2024 minimum wage by 15%; and third, annul the Health Law.
Labor Party and other labor organizations have held multiple protests specifically against the Job Creation Act. Previously, the protest was held in various regions for 25 days.
The protest in Banten was held on June 6, followed immediately by the protest in Gedung Sate Bandung on June 7, then in Semarang on June 9, followed the next week in East Java on June 14, and other provinces until July 20.
"There are around 30 provinces protesting in waves for 25 days," said the President of the Labor Party and KSPI, Said Iqbal, on Monday, June 5, 2023.
The Job Creation Act is controversial since President Jokowi and the House of Representatives seemed to disregard the Constitutional Court decision. On November 2021, the Constitutional Court decided that the omnibus law was conditionally unconstitutional and ordered the government and House of Representatives to revise the law.
However, President Jokowi issued a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perpu) concerning Job Creation on December 31, 2023. Jokowi reasoned that the regulation was needed to face global economic challenges.
President Jokowi's decision was criticized since the basis for the regulation was considered an infringement of the Constitution. Further, Perpu Job Creation was not approved as Law by the House of Representatives until after the second sitting period after the Perpu was created. This was not in line with the Constitution which stipulated that Perpu shall be approved in the first sitting period after the regulation was created.