DPR Urges Home Affairs Ministry to Resolve Furloughed Contract Worker Dispute

Jakarta - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal, has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to intervene in the controversy surrounding furloughed Government Employees with Work Agreements (P3K), including those in Tidore, North Maluku. He stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs must instruct every regional government not to dismiss P3K workers due to insufficient regional budgets. Therefore, he believes the central government needs to facilitate the needs of the regions regarding this matter. “Convey how long it will take until there is certainty for them, and also later if, for example, the P3K workers are part-time, or the full-time P3K workers whose performance allowances must be borne by the regions, convey this by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” said Cucun at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Thursday. Furthermore, he said the government also needs to review the General Allocation Fund scheme, which will become revenue for regions to pay P3K workers, especially teachers. He assessed that the government must immediately provide certainty for part-time P3K teachers who are still awaiting clarity on their status. “There are also part-time P3K workers. These part-time workers have conveyed their aspirations. This is until September, they are asking for clarity. It really must be addressed immediately,” he said. Some time ago, an issue arose regarding thousands of P3K workers in Tidore Kepulauan City, North Maluku, who were potentially affected by efficiency measures due to regional budget limitations. They staged a demonstration in their area, rejecting the furloughs, as they risk losing their livelihoods if dismissed by the local government.