Apindo: Labour Bill Needs to be Discussed First by Employers and Workers

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) believes that the new Labour Bill needs to be discussed jointly first between employers and workers before being submitted to the government. “Therefore, all substantive matters will first be discussed in depth and constructively between the two parties before being conveyed to the government,” said Apindo General Chairman Shinta W Kamdani in her statement in Jakarta on Monday. She assessed that the drafting of the new Labour Law must start from a mutual understanding built together between employers and workers. “This approach is important to ensure that the resulting regulations are not only implementable and competitive, but also reflect a balance of interests and provide certainty for the business world as well as fair protection for workers,” Shinta stated. Amid global pressures faced by the business world, such as rising raw material costs, logistics, and geopolitical dynamics, she also emphasised the importance of building trust and strengthening collaboration between employers and workers. “Employers and workers are not opposing parties. Our challenge is global competition, so we need to walk together, formulate strategies, and present collective solutions,” she said. Meanwhile, Apindo’s Head of Labour Affairs Bob Azam stated that the drafting of a comprehensive and sustainable Labour Bill can only be achieved through intensive and constructive social dialogue between employer representatives and labour union confederations. “Through a strong social dialogue process, the business world and workers can jointly build a legal framework that serves national interests, provides legal certainty, encourages productivity, and creates healthy and sustainable industrial relations for the national economy,” he said. On the other hand, General Chairman of the Confederation of All-Indonesian Labour Unions (KSPSI) Jumhur Hidayat emphasised the importance of building constructive and equal communication between employers and labour unions. His side encourages various strategic labour issues to be discussed jointly first before being brought to the government or DPR arenas. Furthermore, Jumhur highlighted the urgency of wage policy reforms to better reflect a sense of justice, as well as the importance of strengthening the labour supervision system. He also stressed the need for readiness to face technological disruptions and automation through planned and sustainable skills development programmes.