The "Ball" is Back in the Hands of the People's Representatives

The presence of the Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers has been eagerly awaited for 19 years. It is hoped that 2023 will be the end of domestic workers' struggles to obtain regulations that protect them from various forms of violence as well as protect their employers.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR MEDIA SOSIAL

The plenary session of the Indonesian House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, finally agreed to declare the Domestic Workers Protection Bill (PPRT) as an initiative bill of the House. In the plenary session chaired by the Speaker of the House, Puan Maharani, each faction delivered their written opinions, agreeing to make the PPRT Bill an initiative bill of the House.

The legislative journey of the Draft Law on Protection of Domestic Workers or RUU PPRT continues to be filled with dynamics. Just like a long journey, the efforts to present a law that will protect domestic workers and employers face a winding road. Even when it has arrived at the gate, it is difficult for this bill to enter the discussion and approval process.

Until now, the fate of the Household Workers Bill (RUU PPRT) is still uncertain as to when it will begin to be discussed in the House of Representatives. The Fifth Session of the 2022-2023 Parliament has been open for two weeks, since Tuesday (16/5/2023), but until now, the agenda for discussing the RUU PPRT has not yet appeared.

"Considering the limited time, while the hustle and bustle of the 2024 General Elections is getting busier, we continue to hope and ask the House of Representatives to immediately schedule discussions and complete the Draft Law on Domestic Workers, which has been in the House of Representatives for more than 19 years," said Lita Anggraini, National Coordinator of the Network of Domestic Workers' Advocacy (JALA PRT), on Thursday (June 1, 2023)."

Lita, together with JALA PRT and the Civil Coalition for the Domestic Workers Protection Act, hopes that the Domestic Workers Protection Bill will be included in the DPR session discussions which will take place until July 13, 2023. Currently, they are waiting for the "green light" from the DPR's Deliberation Body (Bamus), which consists of faction leaders and DPR leaders.

If the Bamus has decided to put the discussion of the RUU PPRT on the agenda of the DPR Plenary Session which determines the RUU PPRT in the level I discussion between the DPR and the government, the legislative process of the RUU PPRT will run quickly.

There should no longer be any obstacles as both the government and the DPR have shown commitment to accelerate the presence of the PPRT Law as a manifestation of the state's presence for domestic workers who are a representation of the "little people".

Also read: List of Inventory of Problems of Bill on Protection of Domestic Workers Completed

Since the beginning of 2023, the Bill on Family Resilience (RUU PPRT) has made significant progress when President Joko Widodo intervened and ordered the relevant ministers to coordinate and accelerate the process of the RUU PPRT.

The PPRT bill, which has been in the hands of the DPR for almost two decades, finally got the attention of the DPR and the government. The ball began to roll quickly. The Chairman of the DPR, Puan Maharani, confirmed the PPRT bill as a DPR-initiated bill.

Until mid-May, the enthusiasm to realize the PPRT bill has been evident. Even the government team, after racing against time, finally completed the discussion of the problem inventory list (DIM) in the PPRT bill two weeks ago, on Monday (15/5/2023).

On that day, a draft containing 367 articles from the government's PPRT bill was directly signed by the Minister of Manpower along with the Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Minister of Law and Human Rights, and Minister of Home Affairs following a Coordination Meeting to Accelerate the Formation of the PPRT Law in Jakarta.

At that time, the Chairman of the Acceleration Task Force for the Formation of the PPRT Bill, Eddy OS Hiariej, who is also the Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights, ensured that with the finalization of the DIM discussion on the PPRT Bill, it is ready to enter the next stage, namely the submission and discussion in the DPR.

"We will also continue to have intensive communication with the parliament, especially the working committee, so that the discussions can be carried out according to target," said Eddy at that time.

The process continues. A day after that, coinciding with the opening of the DPR session, the government submitted the Draft Law on Family Resilience (RUU PPRT) in the form of the main text (239 articles) and explanation (128 articles) to the DPR. The Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights even targeted that by the end of May, the legislation process for the RUU PPRT would already be in the discussion stage in the DPR.

ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA

Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah, and Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej (from left to right) gave a press statement after a meeting regarding the Draft Bill on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT) at the Pullman Hotel in Jakarta on Monday (15/5/2023). The government has completed discussions on the inventory of issues related to the RUU PPRT, which will be further discussed by the Legislative Body of the House of Representatives. The government aims to pass the RUU PPRT into law this year.

It's already June

However, two weeks have passed, even entering the month of June, the signs of the continuation of the Domestic Workers Protection Bill (RUU PPRT) have not been seen. "With the submission of DIM by the government, it means that the ball is now in the hands of the DPR. Therefore, we continue to plead with the DPR to immediately finalize the Domestic Workers Protection Bill," said Lita.

Lita emphasizes that there should be no more doubt, let alone concern, about the presence of the UU PPRT (Domestic Workers Law). This bill is designed to provide protection for domestic workers and employers. The protection covers everything from before employment, during employment, and even after employment.

Even in the draft legislation, protection is carried out through an integrated system of data collection, monitoring, and recruitment placement among ministerial institutions and legal entities in the PPRT Law from the original area to the work and residence areas of domestic workers.

The PPRT Bill is designed to provide protection for domestic workers and their employers. Protection ranges from before employment to after employment, covering pre-employment, during employment, and post-employment.

He exemplified that in the future, in terms of employment relationships between domestic workers and employers, everyone will be recorded, including domestic workers, families, neighborhood associations, village officials, and even connected to relevant ministry agencies.

For domestic workers, the presence of the Domestic Workers Protection Law (UU PPRT) is very meaningful. Nur Kasanah from the Independent Domestic Workers Union in Semarang hopes that during future discussions, the House of Representatives will accommodate the interests of domestic workers in the UU PPRT, such as providing social security guarantees for health, which have been rarely obtained by domestic workers.

Regarding the absence of discussion agendas, information obtained from several members of the DPR indicates that the process of the PPRT bill is still in the hands of the DPR leadership.

Also read: The Bill on the Protection of Domestic Workers as the State Presents for Young People

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

A group of activists who are members of the Civil Coalition for Domestic Worker Law held a speech rally in front of the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, on Wednesday (March 29, 2023). During the rally, they voiced their support for parliament to pass the Domestic Worker Protection Bill (PPRT). The rally was followed by the distribution of snacks to online motorcycle taxi drivers. Parliament finally agreed to establish the PPRT bill as a parliament-initiated bill.

Christina Aryani, a member of the House of Representatives from the Golkar Party Faction, stated that based on several inputs received, she hoped that the issue of unpaid labor rights, which often reached a dead end, should be regulated and ensured to have a solution. The competence of domestic workers should also be regulated to ensure that they are truly prepared for work.

"The role and responsibilities of the employment agency must be regulated to ensure that no parties are disadvantaged," said Christina.

Various hopes for the presence of the PPRT bill hopefully will further encourage the DPR to immediately realize regulations that will protect domestic workers. Like President Jokowi's hope at the beginning of January 2023, stating that the government is making a strong effort to provide protection for domestic workers in Indonesia, estimated to reach 4 million people and vulnerable to losing their rights as workers.