Government Awaits DPR Draft on Manpower Law Revision, Minister Says

The government is still waiting for the deliberation process of the Manpower Bill currently underway in the House of Representatives (DPR), according to Manpower Minister Yassierli. He noted that the revision of Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Manpower is a DPR initiative, so the government is choosing to respect the ongoing legislative mechanism before engaging in official discussions. “This process is still in the DPR. We from the government will, at the appropriate time during the discussion, prepare our stance,” Yassierli said in Jakarta on Monday. He reiterated that the government’s current position is to await the results of the draft preparation from the DPR while monitoring the legislative process. “We are waiting. We must respect it, as this is an initiative of the DPR. We will wait,” he stated. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Manpower continues to absorb aspirations from various groups as part of the government’s preparations for the bill’s discussion. Input is being gathered from workers, employers, and other stakeholders to serve as material for formulating the government’s position. “That is the phase the government is currently undertaking,” Yassierli said. The aspiration-gathering process also covers various developing labour issues, including wage regulations and proposals from online transport workers regarding health insurance. However, the government will not take a position until the DPR completes its draft. Without commenting on the substance of the proposed regulations, Yassierli responded positively to the idea of strengthening bipartite dialogue between employers and trade unions from the early stages of resolving industrial relations issues. He assessed that such a mechanism could open more effective communication channels. “So that when bipartite agreements are to be reached, it will certainly be easier,” he remarked.