By: Farhan Farisan )*
The government is preparing strategic steps to prevent potential waves of layoffs that could threaten national social and economic stability. One of the initiatives initiated is the formation of a Layoff Task Force, which is designed to be the vanguard in anticipating and handling layoff cases in a structured and collaborative manner.
The Ministry of Manpower has drafted the initial concept for the formation of the Task Force. However, the ratification process is still awaiting a decision from President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is currently on a state visit abroad.
Minister of Manpower, Yassierli, said that his party has prepared a draft for the formation of the PHK Task Force. This draft includes the organizational structure, work system, and coordination mechanisms between agencies and related stakeholders.
According to Yassierli, the formation of the PHK Task Force is a follow-up to President Prabowo’s direct instructions given two days before his departure abroad. He emphasized that the technical process has been running and is currently waiting for further direction from the President.
In his statement, Yassierli also emphasized that the drafting process was not only carried out by the Ministry of Manpower, but also involved the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. This collaboration is expected to strengthen the effectiveness of the policies to be taken.
The PHK Task Force is designed not only to take care of the victims of layoffs, but is also tasked with mapping potential layoffs, preventing mass layoffs, and preparing training and placement schemes for affected workers.
Yassierli said that his party is preparing several policy options to be submitted to the President. These options are expected to provide comprehensive solutions to employment challenges amid global economic uncertainty.
Furthermore, he emphasized that this Task Force must be inclusive, involving all strategic elements in the employment ecosystem. Starting from government elements, academics, labor unions, to business circles.
According to him, this is an important moment to build cross-sector collaboration to create an adaptive and sustainable employment system. Assessing the existence of the PHK Task Force will be a model for responsive management of employment issues.
Meanwhile, the idea of forming the PHK Task Force itself initially emerged from the proposal of the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), Said Iqbal. This proposal was then directly accepted by President Prabowo Subianto in a meeting in Jakarta.
President Prabowo acknowledged the importance of the initiative and immediately ordered the relevant ministries to realize it immediately. He said the PHK Task Force would be an effective forum to map new job opportunities for workers affected by layoffs.
President Prabowo also emphasized the importance of cross-institutional involvement such as BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, academics, and industry players in this Task Force. That way, the approach taken can be more comprehensive and have a direct impact on the community.
Furthermore, this task force is the government’s medium term in creating new jobs, one of which is through massive investment in the agricultural sector. This program is projected to be able to absorb up to eight million workers.
On the other hand, global economic pressures such as the increase in import tariffs from the United States have begun to be felt by the labor-intensive industrial sector. However, the government emphasized that layoffs are not the only solution that can be taken by affected companies.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that labor-intensive companies do not need to lay off workers in response to external pressures. The government has prepared fiscal incentives to maintain employment stability.
One of the incentives provided is income tax (PPh) Article 21 Borne by the Government (DTP) for workers with salaries below Rp10 million per month. This scheme aims to maintain workers’ purchasing power while reducing the burden on employers.
Airlangga stated that the stimulus was designed so that companies could retain their workforce without having to take efficiency measures in the form of layoffs. This is part of the government’s crisis mitigation policy.
In addition, the government is also developing a job training system based on industry needs (link and match). This scheme will be supported by the PHK Task Force so that workers who lose their jobs can be immediately transferred to sectors that are still growing.
The existence of the PHK Task Force will be an official communication channel between workers and the government in voicing employment issues. It is hoped that this approach can prevent tensions between workers and employers due to PHK decisions.
By forming the Layoff Task Force, the government wants to show that they are not sitting idle in the face of the threat of a wave of layoffs. This step is a strong signal that the state is present and responsive to the concerns of the people, especially workers.
Various parties hope that the PHK Task Force can be formed soon and work optimally. Cross-sector collaboration and appropriate policy support will be the key to the success of this task force.
In addition to playing a role in handling layoffs, the Task Force is also designed to strengthen the national workforce data system. With accurate and real-time data, the government can quickly respond to employment dynamics and design targeted interventions, both in the form of vocational training and incentives for strategic industries.
This effort is expected to anticipate the continued impact of global economic disruption and increasingly rapid digital transformation. With the PHK Task Force as the coordination center, the government wants to ensure that Indonesia is ready to face future employment challenges with adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable policies.
)* The author is a Bandung student living in Jakarta
