Minister of PPPA: Domestic Workers Protection Law Lacks Detail
Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifah Tulul Choli Fauzi, stated that the recently enacted Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (UU PPRT) does not yet include detailed regulations. Arifah explained that provisions regarding the protection of domestic workers will be detailed in derivative regulations.
Implementing regulations for the UU PPRT will, among other things, more clearly regulate matters concerning domestic workers’ wages. “Indeed, this law does not yet detail it, as it will still be discussed; if I am not mistaken, there is still 45 days to establish the derivative regulations from this UU PPRT. For example, regarding wages, whether they will be adjusted to each region, and so on,” said Arifah at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.
Arifah also welcomed the enactment of the UU PPRT after it was delayed for more than two decades. She said that the UU PPRT clearly regulates the basic rights of domestic workers.
Some of those rights include fair wages, reasonable working hours, and social security. In addition, workers are entitled to holidays or leave as well as healthy food. Furthermore, domestic workers are entitled to humane treatment free from violence and legal protection. “And this will be regulated more clearly in government regulations,” said Arifah.
According to Arifah, the UU PPRT not only protects workers but also employers. Through this legal umbrella, she continued, domestic workers are recognised as workers. Arifah also emphasised that the current terminology used is domestic workers and employers of domestic workers. “So there is no term like employer and helper,” said Arifah.
After being stalled for 22 years, the House of Representatives (DPR) enacted the Domestic Workers Protection Bill into law during a plenary session on Tuesday, 21 April 2026.
One of the main issues regulated in the UU PPRT concerns wages. In Article 15 on the Rights of Domestic Workers in the UU PPRT draft, the specific amount of wages to be determined is not mentioned.
“The parameter is not the minimum wage, but an agreement between the employer and the domestic worker,” said the Chairman of the UU PPRT Working Committee, Bob Hasan, via WhatsApp message on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.
Bob continued that provisions regarding the amount of wages and payment timing agreed upon by the employer and domestic worker will be further regulated in technical regulations or government regulations.
Nevertheless, he said, the DPR ensures that domestic workers will receive rights such as religious holiday allowances and health and employment social security guarantees in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
“For THR (holiday allowances), that becomes the right of domestic workers, with the amount and payment timing adjusted to the agreement or work contract,” said the Chairman of the Legislation Body.