International unions have criticised the Indonesian government for the passage of Omnibus Labour Law during the COVID-19 pandemic. This law undermines workers’ rights.
Included in the law, which changes more than a thousand articles in 79 existing statutes, are provisions that would cut wages, remove important sick leave provisions and other protections, and undermine job security. The sheer scale, complexity and contents of the law are a violation of Indonesia’s responsibilities under international human rights law.
Heated demonstrations have swept the nation, leading to hundreds of arrests. Clashes between police and protesters beginning on 5 October escalated with tear gas and water cannons used to break up demonstrations. Six protesters were reportedly in critical condition in hospital.
Demonstrations took place in at least 12 places. The strikes were met with violence and arbitrary arrests, with police detaining 183 people in South Sumatra and holding more than 200 protesters in the capital, Jakarta. According to reports, 32 members of the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers’ Union (FSPMI) were injured by water cannons in Bekasi, and another ten were arrested in Bekasi and Jakarta, as the police accused workers of striking outside of allowed hours.
The law was swiftly passed, without the proper consultations with trade unions, on 5 October. It makes sweeping changes to workers’ entitlements and environmental regulation. The government says it will make Indonesia more attractive to investors. However, a draft version of the bill removed key protections, such as mandatory paid leave for childbirth, increased limits on overtime, and cut severance pay.
