RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The deliberations on the Manpower Bill are being advanced to address long‑standing issues in the labor sector, from uncertainty over worker status to unequal protection.

Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) stressed that new regulations must be drafted carefully to avoid repeating the controversy surrounding the Job Creation Law.

Commission IX lawmaker Netty Prasetiyani said the bill should serve as momentum to address workplace inequality. She emphasized that new regulations must be fair, adaptive, and involve all relevant stakeholders.

“This bill must be able to address workers’ aspirations while providing legal certainty for businesses. Worker welfare and industrial growth must go hand in hand,” Netty said in Jakarta on Sunday, May 3, 2026.

She confirmed that the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction will champion several strategic issues in the deliberations, including protecting living wages, limiting outsourcing practices, and ensuring the status of contract workers.

Netty also highlighted the importance of protecting informal and digital platform workers, stressing that the state must not allow workers to live in legal and social uncertainty. “The state must not be absent from protecting workers. No worker should live in uncertainty, whether in the formal or informal sectors,” she said.

Netty reminded business leaders not to view workers merely as a factor of production, but as strategic partners in growth and long‑term success. She also welcomed government policies such as minimum wage increases, strengthened job‑loss insurance programs, and wage subsidies, but noted that these must be reinforced through long‑term regulations.

Irma Suryani Chaniago, also of Commission IX, warned that the DPR must not repeat mistakes made in drafting the Job Creation Law, which was later corrected by the Constitutional Court.

“The DPR must not make the same mistake twice,” she said, adding that the court’s ruling should serve as an important lesson.

Irma emphasized that Commission IX, as the government’s partner in employment matters, should remain the leading body in drafting the bill. She revealed that the commission has already formed a working committee to begin discussions, arguing that it would be inappropriate for another institution to take over the legislative process.

“This bill must be a win‑win solution for both workers and employers, without any party being disadvantaged. The goal is to ensure that the resulting regulation truly addresses the needs of the Indonesian workforce and provides legal certainty for all parties,” she said.

Commission IX confirmed that the bill will be thoroughly discussed to ensure it adequately addresses nationwide labor needs.

President Prabowo Subianto previously urged the government and DPR to accelerate deliberations on the Manpower Bill, targeting completion by the end of 2026. He stressed that new labor regulations must prioritize the rights of Indonesian workers.

“I have instructed the Minister of Manpower and the Minister of Law to finalize the Labor Bill,” the President said at the International Labor Day commemoration in Jakarta on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Misni Parjiati/Lasti Martina)