Jakarta (ANTARA) – Deputy Minister of Manpower Afriansyah Noor said worker protection would be strengthened under a new Manpower Law, with the government targeting completion of the bill in October 2026.
“The establishment of this new Manpower Law is expected to serve as a robust legal architecture for the future in protecting workers’ rights across generations,” Afriansyah said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Thursday.
He said the drafting of the bill was aimed at addressing changes in the world of work while strengthening the protection and welfare of workers and laborers.
According to Afriansyah, completing the legislation was an important part of preparing a regulatory framework that remains relevant to developments in the world of work.
He said the drafting process was subject to a tight timeline and therefore required contributions and support from various stakeholders.
“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.
He further said the government was providing space for trade unions and workers’ unions to convey their aspirations and input during the drafting process.
Such input, he says, was important to enrich the substance of the legislation so that it could address workers’ needs while keeping pace with developments in the business sector.
“The challenges facing the world of work are becoming increasingly complex. Technological developments, automation, changes in global supply chains, the green economy, and dynamic international regulations require us to prepare comprehensive national legislation,” he said.
He added that several labor issues were being considered in the bill’s deliberations, including the protection and welfare of outsourced workers, certainty over decent wages, a fair wage structure, and equal guarantees of labor protection.
“We need a more equitable legal framework that is relevant to global dynamics and robust in protecting the rights of workers and laborers,” he said.
According to Afriansyah, drafting labor regulations also requires synergy among the government, trade unions, and workers’ unions, the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, and the business sector.
Such collaboration, he said, was needed to ensure that the resulting regulations could strengthen worker protection while maintaining 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 laborers without compromising the sustainability of the business climate,” he said.
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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo
Editor: Primayanti
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