Indonesia targets October completion for new Manpower Law

Indonesia aims to complete a new Manpower Law by October 2026, with Deputy Minister of Manpower Afriansyah Noor describing the drafting schedule as tight and the process as depending on input from employers, unions and lawmakers.

He said the legislation was being drafted to respond to changes in the world of work while strengthening workers’ protection and welfare. “The establishment of this new Manpower Law is expected to serve as a robust legal framework for the future, protecting workers’ rights across generations,” he said.

Completing the bill, he added, was part of preparing a regulatory framework that remains relevant to the changing nature of work. That relevance is what the compressed timeline is meant to secure, and it is also what makes the timeline demanding.

“We have a very tight and challenging timeline, with the completion of the bill targeted for October. This means we have to move very quickly,” Afriansyah said.

Behind the deadline lies a broad set of pressures the legislation is intended to address. Afriansyah cited technological change, automation, shifts in global supply chains, the growth of the green economy and evolving international regulation, saying these developments required comprehensive national legislation.

Translated into specifics, several labour issues are under consideration during the drafting process, including the protection and welfare of outsourced workers, certainty over decent wages, a fair wage structure, and equal guarantees of labour protections. “We need a more equitable legal framework that is relevant to global dynamics and robust in protecting the rights of workers and labourers,” Afriansyah said.

READ MORE: Finishing the training isn’t the same as changing how you work

Settling those questions, in his account, requires more than a government drafting exercise. He said the government was providing room for trade unions and workers’ unions to submit their aspirations and input while the bill is being written, describing that input as a way to enrich the substance of the legislation so that it addresses workers’ needs while keeping pace with developments in the business sector.

The same logic extends to the other parties involved. Drafting labour regulation also requires coordination between the government, unions, the House of Representatives and employers, Afriansyah said, presenting that combination as necessary to strengthen worker protection without undermining the sustainability of the business sector.

“We could use the available dialogue space to find the best formulation and solutions focused on eliminating disparities among workers and labourers without compromising the sustainability of the business climate,” he said, reported Antara.

How those questions are settled will shape the workforce agenda organisations in Indonesia carry into 2027. That conversation continues at CHRO Series Indonesia 2026, held from 29 September to 1 October at the Park Hyatt Jakarta under the theme Beyond Jakarta: Unlocking the Workforce Engine of an Archipelagic Economy, with a conference day flanked by two full-day workshops on AI in HR.

Registration and the full programme are available here.