Yassierli Pushes for Law on Informal Worker Protection

Minister of Manpower Yassierli hopes that the government and the House of Representatives can establish a law on gig workers or informal workers. “We are still waiting, actually, to see if this will be included in the initiative for 2026,” said Yassierli during a working meeting with Commission IX of the DPR, broadcast live on YouTube, on Thursday, 9 April 2026.

However, for the time being, Yassierli stated that the Ministry of Manpower is still focusing on social security facilities for informal workers. One of them is providing a 50 percent discount on work accident insurance and death insurance contributions for non-wage workers in the transportation sector.

With this 50 percent subsidy, Yassierli hopes that participation in BPJS for informal workers can increase, so that couriers and online motorcycle taxi drivers have certainty of work accident insurance and death insurance. The contribution discount applies for 15 months, from January 2026 to March 2027.

In addition to discussing plans to draft regulations for informal workers, Yassierli reported developments on the plan to form a new employment law as a follow-up to the Constitutional Court Decision Number 168 of 2023.

Yassierli said that last year, the Ministry of Manpower had absorbed aspirations regarding the formation of the law from 2,000 individuals consisting of business owners, worker unions, labour unions, academics, and local governments. The aspiration absorption was carried out in 13 regions out of 38 provinces in a hybrid manner.

Of that number, 800 people were representatives from confederations and federations of worker and labour unions throughout Indonesia.

The aspirations conveyed included wage policies, fixed-term work agreements (PKWT), outsourcing, layoffs, more adaptive, fair, and sustainable industrial relations governance, job classifications, and supervision systems.

In the discussion of the new Employment Law, Yassierli assured that public consultation will be conducted again to refine input from stakeholders.

Yassierli also encouraged the involvement of worker unions, labour unions, and business owners in the discussion of the Employment Bill initiated by the DPR.

Yassierli said the Ministry of Manpower will issue policies or regulations of a technical operational nature adjusted to the Constitutional Court decision. “We hope this can serve as a bridge towards a new employment law or at least fill the current regulatory gaps,” he said.