The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) has accused PT Pos Indonesia of implementing modern era slavery, suspecting the State-owned postal company is exploiting 15 thousand people who work as partners.

KSPI President Said Iqbal cited that one of the exploitations was the minimum working hours rule of 200 hours per month. This resulted in Pos Indonesia’s partners having to work at least 25 percent or 10 hours per week longer than other State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

"They work directly at the local Indonesian Post Office, doing the same work, but their status is partners. This is an original and very serious violation. This is no longer a partnership, but modern slavery," Iqbal said on Monday, March 24, 2025.

He argued that Law No. 13/2003 on Employment and the Constitutional Court have regulated that a person who receives work orders, wages and direct supervision has a formal employment relationship.

Meanwhile, Iqbal said he sees this not happening at PT Pos Indonesia as many of its workers do not have job security.

The partner wage scheme is a form of oppression when the partner's work location is adjacent to permanent employees who are paid according to the minimum wage rules. Iqbal said that Pos Indonesia’s partners did not receive the 2025 Idul Fitri holiday allowance.

Then, some partners only received an allowance worth Rp50,000 (US$3) while the majority of partners never received an allowance.

Therefore, Iqbal said that he had planned to hold an audience with the government through the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Erick Thohir to improve the work relations system at PT Pos Indonesia.

PT Pos Indonesia's Director of Human Capital Management, Asih Kurniasari Komar, said that Pos Indonesia’s partners have the same position as the company and the compensation received by partners will be based on performance.

"It is possible for a partner to work 200 hours per month. Maybe because the partner's activities are only as a Pos Indonesia partner. Working six to seven hours a day is also common for employees, right?" Asih said as quoted by Katadata.co.id, on Monday, March 24, 2025.

Meanwhile, working hours in a partnership work relationship are not regulated by the Employment Law. The partner work system is in accordance with the agreement in the cooperation agreement.

Asih said that PT Pos Indonesia will not provide allowances, but only holiday bonuses. This decision is in accordance with the Circular of the Minister of Manpower No. M/3/HK.04.00/III/2025.