The local worker is a crucial issue that challenges the capability of local government in protecting the community, particularly in developing district which the skills and education are less distributed. Globalisation enforced penetration of non-local skilled workers (such as immigrants), and instead of having the technology transferred, it also threatened the unskilled local workers. Legal protection for local workers is highly needed to ensure the application of Pancasila’s social justice and to avoid massive unemployment in such area. The research situated in Tanah Bumbu District, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, which famed with its mining industry that attracted many workers, not only regionally, but also globally, to test their luck. However, not all locals taste the sweetness of the mining industry. Instead of providing new job vacancies for local workers, the company tends to hire non-local workers due to their competency and ability to meet the company’s requirement. This issue has to be a concern of the local government. Therefore, this paper aimed to find the best solution in the form of local regulation to protect and empower local workers in Tanah Bumbu District, South Kalimantan, Indonesia.