Polri's Labour Desk Viewed as a Sign of Support for Workers
Jakarta, VIVA – Political and legal analyst Boni Hargunds assesses the formation of the Polri Labour Desk as a strategic step that is not merely a procedural innovation. The desk is described as a tangible commitment by the Indonesian National Police to enforce the law within the labour sector.
“This desk is a concrete manifestation of Polri’s commitment to law enforcement in the labour sector, which at the same time reflects the institution’s moral commitment to stand by the fate of domestic workers and support government policies in strengthening the domestic industry,” said Boni Hargens in a written statement on Wednesday, 16 September 2026.
Boni stated that the move by the Chief of National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, to tighten supervision of illegal imports and establish the Labour Desk serves as an important signal that the state is taking a firmer position in protecting domestic industry and labour.
Polri is seen as being committed to protecting the national textile industry from the onslaught of illegal imports through cross-agency operations.
“General Listyo Sigit Prabowo emphasised Polri’s commitment to protecting the national textile industry from the onslaught of illegal imports through cross-agency operations, tightening entry points, and the formation of the Labour Desk,” said Boni.
As information, during the 53rd Anniversary celebration of the Federation of Textile, Clothing, and Leather Workers’ Unions (FSP TSK) in Sukabumi Regency on Monday, 14 September 2026, Chief of National Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo delivered a firm statement directly targeting the root cause of the national textile industry’s issues: illegal imports that have long been allowed to erode the competitiveness of local products.
Sigit emphasised that supervision will be tightened comprehensively, ranging from port entry points and the inspection of import document completeness to monitoring the circulation of goods in the domestic market.
The Chief of Police identified three main threats simultaneously pressuring the national textile industry: the massive circulation of illegal imported goods, increasing global economic pressure, and an uncontrolled surge in general imports.
All three, according to Sigit, must be addressed simultaneously through a cross-ministerial and cross-agency approach.
Beyond the issue of illegal imports, Chief of Police Sigit also highlighted Polri’s increasingly relevant new role within the national labour ecosystem: the presence of the Labour Desk.