Workers Welcome New Outsourcing Rules: Implement Them as Soon as Possible

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Several workers have responded positively to the government’s new policy on outsourcing labour, issued on Thursday (30/4/2026). One such response came from Soleh (29), a worker who has been employed for six years at an iron processing factory in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java. During that time, he has not yet been promoted to permanent employee status and must undergo annual contract extensions. Soleh believes that workers should only undergo a probationary period of three months. After that, if their performance is good, the company can directly appoint them as permanent employees. “So that there is a future for the workers,” he said. A similar opinion was expressed by Hendra (41). He supports the restriction of outsourcing to certain fields of work, as regulated by the government. According to him, many workers have to face uncertainty due to continuously extended contract statuses. “Because it’s haunted by the feeling of the contract ending, especially like that, right. We’re contract fighters, so to speak,” said Hendra. He admitted to having experienced the difficulties of being a contract worker, especially after becoming a mother. “Previously, I was a contract employee. At that time, working hours were uncertain. From an income perspective, it was also far below the regional minimum wage,” said Eka.