Legalising draft law on domestic workers’ protection is already in limbo for 21 years. To date, the Parliament shows its seriousness to immediately legalise it into law.
On 1 May 2025, President Prabowo Subianto has promised to legalise draft law on domestic workers’ protection into law in three months, but that promise has evaporated without a trace. Now, Prabowo was accompanied by the Vice-Chair of the Parliament Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, who also promised that the Parliament will discuss in a week after 1 May 2025. But that promise was an empty promise that never happens.

Legalising the draft law on domestic workers’ protection will become an important foundation for domestic workers in performing their job. To date, domestic workers work without protection and they are vulnerable to violence and exploitation, even human rights violation when they are treated arbitrarily through long working hours without a break or rest. Domestic workers are often treated with lack of dignity – I.e. through low wages as they are not considered professional workers.

The importance of legalizing draft law on domestic workers’ protection is a reflection of mutual awareness, including amongst young people, because the law will be a reflection of common concern and awareness of all people that domestic workers are workers and are humans who are equal so they have to have their rights. The State should be reminded to provide protection and safety to all citizens.

That is the background why JALA PRT helds a press conference with a number of young people organisations. As explained by Derry Prima (Chairperson of BEM STHI Jentera) that there is mutual concern regarding the issue. He and his colleagues from civil society organisations have often been promised without any actual implementation. The lack of will, by giving the same promises over and over should make people realize that there has to be political will, and people should not be swayed by empty sympathy or voices but should look for facts and evidence. People should open the ‘eyes’ of the Parliament to immediately retify the draft law, despite the stigma and bias the urgency of the law is unmistakable, as justice for domestic workers can only be attained when the promise is fulfilled.

Gabe Tobing dari Suara Muda Kelas Pekerja Partai Buruh mengatakan bahwa paham dan tahu bagaimana perjuangan 4 juta pekerja rumah tangga yang bisa menopang manusia. Mereka bekerja 13 jam lebih lantas bagaimana tidak mengalami burnout. Gabe juga menyatakan bahwa perjalanan RUU PPRT hanya janji-janji dan kampanye-kampanye. Janji Prabowo tiga bulan mau disahkan tetapi hanya pepesan kosong namun ia yakin solidaritas yang akan bisa memenangkan.

Dea M dari Departemen Pengembangan Organisasi EN LMID, Liga mahasiswa untuk demokrasi menyampaikan bahwa usia RUU PPRT sudah dewasa, sudah lebih dari 20 tahun tapi sampai sekarang disahkan padahal jutaan PRT terus bekerja tanpa jaminan dan kepastian yang layak. “Ini manivestasi dari sistem. Anak PRT tidak sekolah lagi. Apakah benar-benar pemerintah Prabowo berpihak kepada rakyat? Apakah hanya meneruskan tradisi kekuasaan yang menindas rakyat kecil,”ungkapnya.

Feby, Waketum bidang Perempuan EN LMND menegaskan agar RUU PPRT segera disahkan karena hal yang sangat urgen. PRT harus dilindungi secara hukum, karena berdasar -asus kasus, mereka banyak PRT yang berupah sangat rendah.”Ini merupakan eksploitasi tenaga kerja yang diupah rendah. Mereka esploitasi SDA dan SDM,”ujarnya.
Wahyu Aji from Indonesia Young Greens - PHI says that his organisation is for inter-generational just system but there is a question, where does the 6-7% economic growth go? Does it reach to the domestic workers too? He says that in justice, the State system should guarantee social welfare for the people from the youngest age to the elderly. “Our colleagues in West Sumatera, they are women who are suffering from losing, and their loss would even be worse with oil palm regime, the latter will worsen and people cannot go to sea and they choose to become domestic workers. TO be domestic workers in Indonesia is tough and there is no salary standard, when every types of employment should have a minimum standard of welfare. This is discrimination. Talks of politics has been massive,” he says. He also adds that if the State wants to say thank you, do not just do it during the May Day, but do it by legalizing the draft law on domestic workers’ protection.

Puspa from WSC Bandung or Woman Studi Bandung says that the State should provide full support to ensure full human rights protection particularly for domestic workers who are mostly women. Legalising the draft law is to fulfill workers’ rights, so the draft law is not only a regulation but a concrete action.

Hanvah from INPES Bandung, says that draft law on domestic workers’ protection is the sincerest picture. More than four millions of workers and more women than men, are deemed as non-workers. The draft law should be a state symbol, there are so many cases of violence which are mostly not prosecuted. The lack of legal protection for domestic workers and by letting people become commodities is truly abusive. “Our migrant workers or Pekerja Migran Indonesia (PMI) are mostly domestic workers, urging visibility from the private to the social sphere – a progressive measure. WE see the draft law on domestic workers’ protection as a class struggle, so there should be inter-sector solidarity,” says Hanvah.

Jen from Front Muda Revolusioner/FMR says that neglect of the law on the protection of domestic workers shows the face of oppression, when domestic workers contribute significantly to the social life of the nation. They are alienated from themselves, from their own work, family, and community. “This is not a human working system that is why we need a civilized system. There is class-based oppression. There is gender-based oppression as it involves many women, and children who succeed them, an oppression in the work-relation, workers with no expertise, we ask for inter-class solidarity so that they get human working hours, have rights to days off and holidays, as domestic workers are essentially a caring work,” says Jen.

Agnes from Comrade, states that domestic workers are remnants of colonial economic system, and deemed unskilled. She believes this is not just a struggle for domestic workers alone. “The last one year we urged that the law on the protection of domestic workers be legalised. We also urged young people in all sectors to ask the government to legalise it,” she says.

Vania from Amnesti Internasional Indonesia expresses the sad thing that the issues are handed over to the young people. “Domestic workers are vulnerable particularly in terms of rights. They need law to protect them, 21 years of waiting is the same time as a baby growing to adulthood, becoming a university students and writing a thesis. Why such a long time? Because members of the Parliament are rich people who have domestics workers. It is a pity why it is not legalized for such a long time, when it is already in the legislation program,” she says. (Ast)