Jakarta – The government has taken strategic steps to address the potential for increased layoffs amidst global and national economic dynamics. Through the establishment of the Layoff Task Force, the government ensures cross-agency involvement to strengthen mitigation efforts and handling the threat of a wave of layoffs in various industrial sectors. This step is a form of government responsiveness to employment conditions that are potentially impacted by the economic slowdown, business adjustments, and rapidly moving technological developments.
The establishment of the Layoff Task Force is part of the government’s anticipatory strategy in maintaining employment stability and business continuity. This task force is tasked with mapping potential vulnerabilities to layoffs, coordinating across ministries and institutions, and encouraging concrete solutions that can help businesses and workers survive in difficult situations.
Minister of Manpower (Menaker), Yassierli said, this task force does not only involve the Ministry of Manpower, but also many agencies.
“This PHK Task Force is not only talking about mitigating PHK, but will cover from upstream to downstream. So not only the Ministry of Manpower is involved, but also across ministries. So we hope to be able to review existing regulations or policies that may have an impact on economic conditions and so on,” said Yassierli.
The government also recognizes that fluctuating global conditions also affect business decisions at the national level. Changes in consumption trends, rising production costs, and shifts in work patterns due to digitalization are factors that need to be responded to carefully. Therefore, the PHK Task Force also acts as a consultative forum for the business world in formulating internal policies that support work sustainability and worker welfare.
Previously, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, supported the formation of the Layoff Task Force proposed by the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), Said Iqbal.
“I am interested in the proposal of the Layoff Task Force. This is a very good proposal, I thank you,” said Prabowo.
He considered the formation of the PHK Task Force to be an important idea. He also encouraged the task force to be formed immediately by involving various parties. Starting from the government, labor unions, academics, rectors, to BPJS Ketenagakerjaan to anticipate the impact of PHK. Thus, not only does it strengthen protection for workers, but the existence of the PHK Task Force also maintains the trust of the business world in investing and maintaining production activities in Indonesia.
