Dasco states Layoff Mitigation Task Force to hold meeting soon

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, stated that the Layoff Mitigation Task Force, established by the President, will soon hold a meeting to discuss regions impacted by redundancies.

“Perhaps as early as next week, I have heard there will be meetings regarding the mitigation of existing layoffs,” Dasco said during the opening of the 3rd Congress of the Indonesian Confederation of Trade Unions (KSPI) in Jakarta on Sunday.

Dasco noted that the current global situation is impacting worker welfare and triggering layoffs. Through these meetings, the government intends to listen to feedback from labour union associations and obtain the latest information regarding industrial sectors at risk of redundancies.

“Based on the input from labour union leaders who have provided information to the government, we are identifying which areas are vulnerable to the upcoming impact of layoffs,” he added.

He further noted that the National Police’s Labour Desk operates in criminal matters and other areas with rapid response capabilities. The government subsequently formed the Layoff Mitigation Task Force on 1 May 2024.

“While the National Police’s labour desk can provide rapid responses regarding criminal issues and others, the government has also released the Layoff Mitigation and Labour Welfare Task Force, whose advisory board includes leaders of various Indonesian trade unions,” he said.

Dasco expressed hope that through effective cooperation between all parties, labour issues can be managed effectively. He highlighted that the police labour desk has been instrumental in assisting with the allocation or relocation of workers from layoff-affected areas to regions still in need of labour.

He hopes these measures can be scaled up, particularly given the current economic climate. “We believe this is a very positive step and, if necessary, should be increased in scale within the government’s Layoff Mitigation and Labour Welfare Task Force,” Dasco remarked.

The Layoff Mitigation Task Force and the initiative to improve labour welfare were established by the government as an accelerated channel to handle various issues, ranging from wage disputes and outsourcing systems to the potential for mass layoffs in several industrial sectors.