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Indonesian Workers Protest Wage Rate, Outsourcing Jobs in May Day Rallies

Amid their opposition to the new Job Creation Law, Indonesian workers and union leaders also raised their concerns on wage rate and labor outsourcing during the May Day protests on Saturday, May 1.

The concerns were brought up to the table during a discussion with the Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko in Jakarta. Representing the workers were leaders of All-Indonesia Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI) and Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI).

"During the meeting with Pak Moel [Moeldoko], we bring up some issues that we have already raised before in the Constitutional Court because we feel that from the labor perspective the issues could harm the labors,” said KSPI President Said Iqbal at the Bina Graha Building in Jakarta on Saturday.

We told Moeldoko about the minimum wage for workers, Iqbal said. Big companies should be able to pay a more decent wage to their workers considering the profits they make. "Big companies should pay their workers more than those smaller companies,” he said.

According to Said, decent pay for the workers could also increase people’s purchasing power as public consumption remains a major contributor to the country’s economic growth besides investment.

“What we ask for is a sense of fairness and the rights of labors can be fulfilled,” he added.

He also highlighted that long-term outsourced workers and contract employees with no guarantee of job security are still found. He said that the government remains to take no notice of the practice. “I think the government needs to look into the matter because as contract employees, they have no hope of becoming permanent workers,” he said.

During the meeting, the absence of unemployment insurance was also brought up by the representatives of KSPSI and KSPI.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/05/02/220510674/indonesian-workers-protest-wage-rate-outsourcing-jobs-in-may-day-rallies.