DPR Gathers Labour Input for Drafting of Manpower Bill

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Sufmi Dasco Ahmad received representatives of trade unions and workers’ unions at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (13/8). The meeting was held to gather workers’ aspirations as material for drafting the Labour Bill.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Speaker Saan Mustopa, Chair of the DPR Legislation Body Bob Hasan, and leaders of confederations, federations, and trade unions.

The Labour Bill currently being drafted is a new law following up on Constitutional Court Decision Number 168/PUU-XXI/2023. The Court has given until 31 October 2026 to establish a separate law regulating labour matters outside the Job Creation Law.

Dasco said the drafting process has been underway through the Working Committee of Commission IX of the DPR. The initial draft prepared by the DPR’s Expertise Body consists of 19 chapters and 224 articles, while various proposals from trade unions continue to be collected as discussion material.

“The draft submitted consists of 19 chapters and 224 articles. If anything is lacking, we can add it during the deliberations,” said Dasco.

Previously, DPR leaders had also received draft proposals from 18 confederations of trade unions and workers’ unions, which were then forwarded to Commission IX of the DPR as material for the drafting process.

Dasco stressed that the space for submitting input remains open so that the substance of the bill can be enriched with various views from workers and labourers.

“So that the law becomes richer and more complete, and of course so that it can better address the needs of workers or labourers. For that reason, today I am opening space for the submission of input and then we will discuss it,” said Dasco.

From the workers’ side, President of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) Said Iqbal raised a number of issues deemed to require attention, ranging from wages, layoffs and severance pay, foreign workers, working hours, outsourcing, to contract workers.

“Our proposals are certainly still far from perfect,” said Said. He expressed hope that the various proposals from workers’ groups could complement one another and serve as material in the Labour Bill deliberations. Said also hoped that the Constitutional Court’s deadline would not cause the discussions to be rushed and would still provide adequate space for participation by workers and labourers.

According to Dasco, if there are differences of view among trade unions or with the Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo), the DPR will facilitate dialogue to find common ground.

“If there are differences among the unions, we will resolve them. Where there are differences with Apindo, we will sit down together, and where matters must be agreed together with the government, we will also sit down together,” said Dasco.

Through the meeting, the DPR sought to keep the Labour Bill drafting process open and participatory, taking into account various inputs from workers, labourers, employers, and the government in the subsequent deliberations.