Workers Request Eid Bonus Payment 21 Days in Advance; Labour Minister Affirms Seven-Day Requirement

Workers Request THR to be Paid 21 Days Before Eid, Labour Minister Responds

• istimewa.

Jakarta, VIVA – Minister of Manpower, Yassierli, stated that the provision of Eid bonus (THR) from companies to workers still refers to the old regulations, which stipulate that it must be paid no later than seven days before Eid al-Fitr.

“According to the regulations, it must be paid at least seven days before,” said Yassierli during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Furthermore, he said that the Ministry of Manpower is currently coordinating with the Ministry of State Secretariat regarding the announcement of a circular letter concerning the implementation of THR payments for workers.

“We will wait, we are currently coordinating with the Ministry of State Secretariat, and it will be announced together,” said Minister Yassierli.

The Professor from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) affirmed that providing THR to workers is a company’s obligation.

Yassierli reiterated that providing THR is an obligation that companies must fulfil for their employees.

This is in accordance with Government Regulation Number 36 of 2021 and the Minister of Manpower Regulation (Permenaker) Number 6 of 2016, which regulates wage policies in Indonesia and concerns religious holiday allowances for workers in companies.

Article 2, Paragraph (1) of Permenaker Number 6 of 2016 states that employers are obliged to provide religious THR to workers who have worked continuously for at least one month or more.

“Regarding THR, there are already regulations in place. If THR is not paid, there will certainly be sanctions,” said Minister Yassierli.

Previously, the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) proposed that THR be paid 21 days before Eid al-Fitr.

KSPI President Said Iqbal, in Jakarta on Tuesday, 24 February, said that this was to reduce the room for manipulation by companies that intend to carry out unilateral layoffs before Eid in order to avoid the obligation of paying THR.

“THR must be paid three weeks before Eid. And wages for one month before Eid must also be paid in full. Do not give employers an opportunity to manipulate the status of workers,” he said.