Thousands of Indonesian workers protest against changes to labour laws

Several thousands of Indonesian workers held a rally in Jakarta on January 20 to protest against the government’s planned changes to its labour laws which are seen as a barrier for foreign investment.

Indonesia President Joko Widodo is looking to get the parliament to pass the “omnibus” bills which are meant to replace dozens of laws as he looks to create more jobs and boost investments in the country.

The current labour law has one of the most generous severance payouts rules in the world, which the government sees as an obstacle for foreign investment.

Ellena Ekarahendy, head of the media and creative workers’ union, said the changes to the labour law could trigger a mass firing.

But the government has reassured that a safety net will be in place to provide workers who are fired six months of pay.