Second week of jobs law protests in Indonesia

Jakarta

HUNDREDS of workers riding motorbikes and waving flags held a rally in Jakarta on Monday, as protests calling on President Joko Widodo to repeal a controversial new jobs law entered a second week.

Designed to boost investment and cut red tape, the so-called "omnibus" law has sparked widespread outcry across Indonesia, with protesters saying that the law undermines labour rights and weakens environmental protections.

Demonstrations erupted in industrial areas and cities across the archipelago last week after the bill's passage, with chaotic scenes in some areas, public property torched, and almost 6,000 people arrested.

On Monday, a union official estimated that about 1,000 workers had gathered in central Jakarta to hold another protest against the law. "We want the omnibus law to be revoked, and the government to issue a presidential decree to replace it," said Ema Liliefna of the Confederation of All Indonesia Trade Unions (KSBSI).

The president has defended the law, saying that demonstrators were motivated by "disinformation" and urging critics to challenge the law in courts instead.

The new law, which revises more than 70 existing laws and regulations, has been met with cautious optimism from markets and the business community, but critics say the changes were rushed through and undermine existing labour laws, including those on severance pay and work hours.

Protesters held rallies in other major Indonesian cities on Monday, including in Bandung and Medan, according to media reports.

Despite the president's assurances that the law is needed to help create jobs as South-east Asia's pandemic-hit economy veers towards a recession, several groups, including Indonesia's largest Islamic association, Nahdatul Ulama, have pledged to lodge a judicial review.

Separately, an alliance of conservative Islamic organisations, including the Islamic Defender's Front and Alumni 212 movement, plan to protest against the law outside the state palace on Tuesday, according to a statement. REUTERS