Jakarta — The Indonesian government has shown real support for workers. In response to the potential for mass layoffs due to global dynamics and technological disruption, President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the formation of a Termination of Employment Task Force (Satgas PHK) as an anticipatory and solution-oriented measure.
The announcement was made directly at the Joint Economic Gathering of the President of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta, which was attended by thousands of workers, business people, and labor figures. In his speech, the President emphasized that the state must not remain silent when the people face difficulties.
“If there are workers who are neglected, we must defend them, we must take care of them as best we can,” the President emphasized, greeted with enthusiasm by the participants who filled the event location.
The Layoff Task Force was formed to respond quickly to the threat of layoffs in various sectors. Its members consist of representatives from the central government, labor unions, industry players, academics, and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. The main focus of the task force is to prevent layoffs, maintain employment stability, and ensure that workers’ rights remain protected according to the rules.
Minister of Manpower Yassierli revealed that his party had prepared an Industrial Sector Risk Matrix as a technical work basis for the Task Force.
“This is the basis for identifying vulnerable sectors and designing accurate and responsive policies,” he said.
In addition, the Task Force will also facilitate retraining programs (reskilling), skills improvement (upskilling), and cross-sector job distribution.
Not only that, the Task Force also functions as a tripartite dialogue space between the government, workers, and employers to formulate sustainable collective solutions. The government wants to ensure that every decision is taken inclusively and takes into account the interests of all parties.
KSPSI President Andi Gani Nena Wea welcomed the move. He called the Task Force a concrete manifestation of the state’s support for workers.
“This step is not just a momentary response, but a long-term strategy,” he said.
Likewise, KSPI President Said Iqbal said that the formation of the Task Force marked a new chapter in industrial relations in Indonesia that is healthier and provides solutions.
With the PHK Task Force, the government proves that under Prabowo-Gibran’s leadership, the state is present not only through regulations, but also through real action. Protecting workers is the main foundation towards Indonesia Emas 2045. []