Indonesians protest low wages, lawmakers’ monetary perks

ISTANBUL

Thousands of Indonesian workers rallied Thursday outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta to protest low wages, outsourcing practices and rising perks for lawmakers.

The demonstrations were organized by the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation and the Labor Party, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Protesters demanded an end to outsourcing, low wages and mass layoffs, and called for a special task force to monitor job cuts. They also urged labor tax reforms, including raising the non-taxable income threshold to 7.5 million Indonesian rupiah ($458) a month and eliminating taxes on severance pay, holiday bonuses and retirement savings.

Workers also pressed for the passage of a law allowing confiscation of assets in corruption cases, the approval of a new Labor Bill, and revisions to election laws ahead of the 2029 general elections.

The protests, which began earlier this week, have also targeted lawmakers’ allowances. In addition to their salaries, members of parliament receive a monthly housing stipend of 50 million rupiah ($3,057) -- nearly 10 times Jakarta’s minimum wage.

Under pressure from demonstrations, the House of Representatives later clarified that the 580 lawmakers will receive the allowance only until October, according to The Jakarta Post.