DPR sahkan Undang-Undang Perlindungan Pekerja Rumah Tangga

After a protracted 22-year legislative deadlock, Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) has finally enacted the Domestic Worker Protection Law (Undang-Undang Perlindungan Pekerja Rumah Tangga or UU PPRT). The landmark legislation was officially passed during a Plenary Session of the DPR RI on Tuesday, April 21st, heralding a new era of legal safeguards for domestic workers across the archipelago.

This pivotal moment signifies the establishment of comprehensive legal protection for domestic workers in Indonesia, a long-awaited development for countless individuals in the sector. The Chairman of the DPR RI Legislation Body, Bob Hasan, highlighted the law’s extensive scope, revealing 12 crucial provisions designed to uplift and secure the rights of domestic workers.

Here are the 12 key points enshrined within the newly passed Domestic Worker Protection Law:

1. Establishing comprehensive protection for workers based on principles of familial harmony, human rights respect, justice, welfare, and legal certainty.
2. Allowing for the recruitment of domestic workers (PRT) through both direct and indirect channels.
3. Clarifying that individuals assisting with household tasks based on custom, kinship, family ties, education, or religious duties are explicitly not classified as domestic workers under this Law.
4. Permitting indirect recruitment of PRT by Domestic Worker Placement Companies (P3RT) to be conducted both offline and online.
5. Guaranteeing one of the fundamental rights of PRT: access to social health insurance and employment social security.
6. Mandating that prospective PRT receive vocational education and training, provided by either the central government, regional governments, or domestic worker placement companies.
7. Stipulating that P3RT must operate as legally recognized business entities, holding mandatory business permits issued by the central government in accordance with prevailing regulations.
8. Strictly prohibiting P3RT from imposing any form of wage deductions or similar charges on domestic workers.
9. Assigning oversight and supervision of domestic worker arrangements to both central and regional governments, while empowering neighborhood units (RT/RW) to proactively prevent violence against PRT.
10. Granting an exception to individuals under 18 or already married who worked or are working as PRT prior to the Law’s enactment, ensuring their rights as domestic workers remain recognized.
11. Requiring that implementing regulations for this Law be established no later than one year from its official commencement.

The Arduous Journey of the PPRT Bill since 2004

The path to the enactment of the Domestic Worker Protection Law has been exceptionally long and fraught with challenges, spanning nearly two decades. The initial draft of the PPRT Bill was first proposed to the DPR in 2004 by the National Advocacy Network for Domestic Workers (Jaringan Advokasi Nasional Pekerja Rumah Tangga or JALA PRT).

Despite this early initiation, the Bill only managed to enter the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) in 2010. By 2013, it advanced to the DPR’s Legislation Body (Baleg) for discussion. However, momentum stalled significantly, with deliberations on the Bill being completely halted between 2014 and 2019.

In 2020, the Baleg DPR transferred the discussion process of the PPRT Bill to the Consultative Body (Badan Musyawarah or Bamus), a parliamentary committee responsible for setting the agenda for DPR meetings and work. Yet, further delays persisted; on August 21, 2021, the DPR Leadership Meeting controversially postponed bringing the Bill to Bamus, preventing its progress.

Persistent and growing public pressure from various community groups became instrumental in urging the DPR and the government to resume and finalize discussions on this critical legislation. Finally, on March 13, 2023, the Bill was discussed in Bamus and subsequently presented to a DPR Plenary Session, officially becoming a parliamentary initiative. This recent approval marks the culmination of years of advocacy and legislative effort, promising a more secure future for Indonesian domestic workers.

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