For the past week, the nation’s energy has been drained by the pros and cons on the newly passed omnibus law on job creation. Meanwhile, the threat of Covid-19 still hangs over the country.
By
EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
The DPR Plenary Meeting at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday (5/10/2020). One of the agenda items is the approval of the Job Creation Bill.
For the past week, the nation’s energy has been drained by the pros and cons on the newly passed omnibus law on job creation. Meanwhile, the threat of Covid-19 still hangs over the country.
Almost all countries are continuing to strive in mobilizing all available resources to overcome the pandemic while preparing for the new normal. The countries that get through it will emerge as the winners, while those that fail will emerge as the losers.
The global economic crisis caused by the pandemic has been extremely devastating. The World Bank has forecast that the pandemic will leave “lasting scars”. According to World Bank president David Malpass, the Covid-19 pandemic and the global recession could lead to more than 1.4 percent of the world\'s population falling into extreme poverty. The pandemic has also dragged Indonesia to the brink of a recession.
The country sees 2.92 million job seekers per year, and over 6 million workers have lost their jobs over the course of the epidemic.
The debate over the Job Creation Bill will become more meaningful if it is viewed within this context. The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) believe that the Job Creation Bill, which revises many laws and regulations, will encourage structural reform, accelerate economic transformation, and create the jobs that are urgently needed amid the Covid-19 epidemic. The country sees 2.92 million job seekers per year, and over 6 million workers have lost their jobs over the course of the epidemic.
On the flip side, a number of societal elements are concerned that the new law will instead marginalize rakyat kecil (the “little people”), especially workers. The current condition, which continues to be marred by social inequality, has created a feeling of distrust. The government is seen to be prioritizing the interests of employers rather than employees or the “little people”.
AFP/JUNI KRISWANTO
Activists gather during a nationwide strike against a controversial new law which critics fear will favour investors at the expense of labour rights and the environment, in Surabaya on October 8, 2020.
The lack of transparency in the House’s deliberation process of the bill also caused misinformation. The presence of parties who were trying to take advantage of the situation in the closed spaced further muddied the waters.
Great change can be made if the goals and benefits are understood by all. Openness and transparency are therefore an absolute need. From this will also emerge mutual trust and a willingness to meet in the middle towards a greater purpose.
Until now, the public have not had access to the final draft of the newly passed bill, even though the House gave it its final approval last Monday. If the government and the DPR are serious about drafting legislation for the national interest, not just for the interests of certain groups, it should be uploaded to the House’s website. Checks and monitoring are needed to prevent unapproved articles from being inserted before the President signs the approved bill into law.
From here, dialogue can be built and intensified. The dialogue is not for winning, but to ensure that the new law truly becomes a stepping-stone for the nation to progress in the future, not regress. A constitutional approach can also be taken to challenge the new law at the Constitutional Court, especially on those provisions that have the potential to harm the nation. On the other hand, unconstitutional approaches should be avoided that will only create more difficulty for people during the ongoing health emergency.
