House Passes Labor Protection Bill into Law

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) passed the Labor Protection bill into law during a plenary session on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Delivering her report, House Commission IX Deputy Chair Putih Sari stated that the bill was approved to advance to second-level deliberations on Monday, October 5, 2026.

During the drafting phase, Commission IX held a working meeting with government representatives on September 14, 2026. Putih added that lawmakers actively gathered public input throughout the legislative process.

"The working committee conducted public consultations from September 16 to 22, 2026, and additional hearings held during discussions based on audience requests from various groups, including workers, employers, academics, and community organizations," she said at the DPR Building on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

House Speaker Puan Maharani subsequently sought approval from all parliamentary factions to pass the Employment Protection Bill into law. "Can the Labor Protection Bill be enacted into law?" Puan asked the assembled lawmakers. Representatives from all factions approved the enactment of the bill.

Several provisions in the bill had previously drawn pushback from labor groups, particularly regarding regulations surrounding digital platform workers. Under Article 49, the nature of gig and platform work is classified as flexible.

Indonesian Transportation Workers Union Chair Lily Pujiati criticized this classification as disadvantageous to online motorcycle taxi or online ojek drivers and cargo couriers. "If an order is not completed, drivers face penalties such as account suspensions and partnership terminations by the platform," she said on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.