Indonesia pushes for adaptive workers’ protection

The country’s Secretary-General of the Manpower Ministry Anwar Sanusi said this at the G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting recently.

“The world of work faces a foundational challenge. The change in work patterns due to the global trend and COVID-19 pandemic drive business players and workers to quickly adapt to the current dynamics,” Sanusi said.

Hence, he stressed that guaranteeing protection for all workers, especially during a difficult period and the economic crisis, was crucial.

Speaking at the second EWG meeting in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, Sanusi said the dynamic shift in the labour market had started years ago before the pandemic.

Globalisation, labour demographic transformation, and the emergence of new technology in industries had changed the demand for labour, he said. As such, the policy of adaptive workers’ protection is necessary for concrete efforts in protecting all labor from economic turbulence.

“Moreover, protection for all workers is needed to realise proper work for all and prevent unfair actions from employers, especially in a situation when workers have fewer options and offers,” Sanusi explained.

He affirmed that the responses to salary, working hours, the K3 aspects (work safety and health), rights to join the union and negotiate, social security, and maternity leave, should be reviewed further. 

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While addressing G20 member state delegates during the EWG meeting, Sanusi said that inclusive protection for workers was becoming increasingly important on account of the global trends.

The pandemic had resulted in no socio-economic protection for several informal workers. “Workers without proper protection have a worse fate than those who have,” Sanusi said, according to Antara.