As House Rushes Employment Bill to Final Level, Jakarta Braces for Major Protests

As the House of Representatives and the government voted to sign it into law in Monday’s plenary session, trade unions and civil rights organizations expect to take to the streets again to protest against the divisive job creation omnibus bill.

Trade unions and civil rights groups plan to take to the streets again to demonstrate against the controversial job creation omnibus bill when the House of Representatives and the government voted to sign it into law in Monday’s plenary session. However, after the House agreed to fast-track the final stage of the bill’s deliberation by moving the vote to a previously unplanned plenary session on Monday instead of the originally announced Thursday, some labor unions decided to launch the protests sooner.

Suparno, chairman of the Bekasi branch of the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers (FSPMI) in West Java stated that about 5,000 workers from the area will enter the demonstration in front of the Senayan, Cental Jakarta, House Complex.

Jakarta Police Head of Traffic Unit Sr. Uh, Comr. Sambodo Purnomo Yogo said that in front of the House complex, where most of the protests were to take place on since the police had diverted traffic. Previously, the Jakarta Police declined to give demonstrators permission to assemble in front of the House complex, saying that the danger of COVID-19 transmission could be increased by large crowds. Police workers stayed on standby, however, to expect demonstrators disregarding the alert.

Related Article: https://www.theasianaffairs.com/indonesia/2020/10/05/omnibus-bill-an-expectation-to-boost-foreign-investments-this-2021/