MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2020) The Indonesian police have detained about 500 more protesters against a new law on job creation, the Jakarta Post newspaper reported on Tuesday.
On October 5, the Indonesian parliament passed a so-called omnibus law on changes in as many as 70 legislations within the labor, business and environmental sectors. The controversial law, which seeks to revive the nation's economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has sparked nationwide protests. Last week, about 3,000 people were detained.
"There were around 600 people trying to provoke the mass. We [police] stood by at first, but they kept throwing [things] at security personnel. At that point, we pushed and apprehended them," Jakarta police chief Nana Sudjana said, as quoted by the newspaper, adding that around 500 people were detained for instigating clashes.
According to the media outlet, a group of protesters continued throwing bottles and stones at law enforcement officers even after the majority of demonstrators had left the march in downtown Jakarta. The police were used tear gas against the protesters.
The new law increases overtime work limits from 14 to 18 hours per week and gives employers the right to decide the minimum overtime pay, gets rid of the requirement of two days off per week, removes government regulation of the minimum wage in a number of industries and gives employers more rights in relation to workers and employees, as well as reduces the level of social protection.
