OSH Consultative Meeting

Towards more integrated OSH programmes

The ILO initiated an occupational safety and health (OSH) consultative meeting with its relevant social partners. By sharing OSH knowledge, programmes, lessons learnt and challenges, the ILO and its social partners could develop stronger workplace prevention culture.

News | Jakarta, Indonesia | 21 January 2019
The OSH Consultative Meeting
To synchronize its occupational safety and health (OSH) programmes with the social partners, the ILO organized an OSH Consultative Meeting in Jakarta on 16 January. The meeting was aimed to strengthen the OSH responses of ILO Jakarta in accordance with current situation of Indonesia and to enhance national social dialogue in support of the country’s stronger workplace prevention culture.

The meeting was conducted by the ILO through its Youth4OSH programme, aimed to reduce workplace injuries, fatalities and occupational diseases through inculcating a preventive safety and health culture among young workers and young employers. The programme is supported by the US Council for International Business (USCIB).

We need to start teaching OSH related issues from school, particularly for students of vocational schools, so that when they enter the world of work after graduating they already know about their labour rights."

M. Amri AK, Head of Secretariat of National OSH Council (DK3N)
In the meeting, in addition to the Youth4OSH programme, the ILO presented its other OSH-related projects. They are: SafeYouth@Work, Better Work Indonesia, Promoting Decent Work in Palm Oil Plantations, HIV and AIDS Workplace Programme, Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Project and SEA Fisheries Project.

“Through this meeting, the ILO and its social partners can harmonize and synchronize the OSH programmes so that the ILO’s programmes can complement the programmes of social partners. In addition by having a better understanding about each other programmes, the ILO and its social partners can ensure the sustainability of the OSH programmes in the future,” said Abdul Hakim, the ILO’s National Coordinator on SafeYouth@Work.

In the meeting, representatives from relevant ministries, workers’ and employers’ organizations as well as youth champions shared their programmes, experiences, lessons learnt and challenges. The knowledge sharing session went lively with active participation from all the attending ILO staff and participants.

We need to start addressing the OSH issues for employment affected by the industrial change 4.0. As we all know, technology related jobs like online drivers are rampant; yet there is no regulations that protect the welfare of workers in the non-standard employment."

Wawan Erfianto, Vice President of Confederation of Indonesia Trade Unions
M. Amri AK, Head of Secretariat of National OSH Council (DK3N), highlighted the importance of the integration of OSH into education and vocational training system. “We need to start teaching OSH related issues from school, particularly for students of vocational schools, so that when they enter the world of work after graduating they already know about their labour rights.”

Brawijaya, Head of Sub Directorate on Sustainable Construction. Ministry of Public Works and Housing, emphasized the need for enhancing OSH culture of prevention to the small construction companies; while Mahrus, Head of Sub Directorate in the Ministry of Sea and Fisheries, reminded the meeting about the OSH high risks faced by Indonesian fishermen. Both of them underlined the importance of OSH education and advocacy to smallholder companies in both construction and fishing sectors.

From the perspective of health protection, Kartini, Director on Occupational Health and Sport, Ministry of Health talked about the importance of health related issues. “We also need to focus on health related issues, not only safety related issues. Every workplace has health hazards and we need to identify them as the preventive actions are more crucial.”

We need to ensure the effective coordination among relevant stakeholders."

Fadil Kaafi and Tyas Amalia, Indonesian youth champions
Wawan Erfianto, Vice President of Confederation of Indonesia Trade Unions, warned the meeting about the OSH conditions for workers in the non-standard employment. “We need to start addressing the OSH issues for employment affected by the industrial change 4.0. As we all know, technology related jobs like online drivers are rampant; yet there is no regulations that protect the welfare of workers in the non-standard employment.”

From the perspective of young workers, Fadil Kaafi and Tyas Amalia, Indonesian youth champions, underlined the significance of political willingness from different governmental institutions and other stakeholders to coordinate and collaborate. “We need to ensure the effective coordination among relevant stakeholders,” said Fadil.

This meeting was marked the first OSH consultative meeting. “The ILO Office in Indonesia is planning to conduct similar consultative meeting regularly. It is important for the ILO and its relevant stakeholders to sit down together to share OSH knowledge, programmes and experiences in a regular basis,” concluded Lusiani Julia, the ILO’s programme officer.