Labour Minister: Trade Unions Are Not Adversaries of Companies, but Guardians of Workers' Rights

Minister of Manpower (Menaker) Yassierli has affirmed that trade unions are not adversaries of companies, but strategic partners in safeguarding workers’ rights while supporting business continuity.

This was stated by Yassierli while attending the signing of the XVI Collective Work Agreement (PKB) between the management of PT Bridgestone Tire Indonesia and the PT Bridgestone Workers’ Union on Thursday (16/4/2026).

According to Yassierli, the existence of trade unions is an important instrument to ensure that workers’ rights guaranteed by the state are fulfilled through healthy industrial relations and constructive dialogue.

Yassierli added that good industrial relations are not sufficient to merely be harmonious, but must develop into collaborative and transformative ones. This means that workers and companies need to share a common vision to enhance productivity, innovation, and competitiveness.

“We want industrial relations to level up, not just harmonious, but also proactive and transformative, where workers and companies share a vision to improve competitiveness,” he stressed.

Therefore, the signing of the PKB is seen as an important momentum to strengthen collaboration between companies and workers in creating a productive, inclusive, and sustainable work environment.