YOGYAKARTA – Indonesian Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, Drs. Muhaimin Iskandar, M.Si., inaugurated Centre for Social Protection and Decent Work Studies, in Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol) UGM. The inauguration was held simultaneously with National Seminar entitled World Decent Work Day at Graduate Seminar Room on Friday (7/10).
Cak Imin, as he is familiarly called, said that the center of decent work studies is the first employment center of studies in Indonesia. He said that the center will study and review various alternative solutions for various problems of employment and present visible recommendations, both for policy formulation and for operational implementation in the field. "I acknowledge the ideas and initiative of the Faculty to establish this center for decent work studies," Muhaimin said in his speech.
He added that the decent work study center will be one of national assets that can benefit many parties, especially from the government and private sectors to realize decent work in Indonesia.
The concept of decent work, as recommended by ILO (International Labor Organization), has four strategic objectives. First is to promote employment. Second, is to promote and realize the principles and fundamental rights at work. Third is to promote social dialogue and tripartism and fourth is to build and develop social protection.
To realize decent work in Indonesia, the government has established several key policies, including worker protection through measures to maintain employment with social dialogue and mutual protection, to help workers find employment through active labor market and to handle unemployment, especially the young people through provision of training centers and development of entrepreneurship skills. "The government also builds an adequate system of social protection for all, respects and upholds international labor standards," he said.
Meanwhile, Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, said that decent work in Indonesia has become urgent to be realized. Aware of this, his Faculty founded the study center simultaneously with the celebration of the World Decent Work Day. "The launching is done simultaneously at this moment. We would like to emphasize that promoting decent work in Indonesia has to be done," he said.