A total of 30 trainers and staff of the Manpower Ministry’s Development Centre of Human Resources (PPSDM) participated at a two-day capacity building training on industrial relations. Held in Bogor, West Java, from 10-11 March, the training provided a venue for trainers and staff of PPSDM to learn and update their knowledge and understanding about emerging issues in industrial relations. The training also provided new skills to refine and adapt the Manpower Ministry’s training programmes on mediation.

The training was officially opened by Helmyati Basri, Head of PPSDM Centre of Ministry of Manpower and Maria Joao Vasquez, Officer-in-Charge of ILO in Indonesia. The training was also facilitated by Arun Kumar, ILO’s Industrial Relations Specialist and Lusiani Julia, ILO’s Programme Officer.

“The changing nature of employment has impacted the labour relations; however, labour laws that regulate employment relationships have not kept pace with changes in how people are employed and arrangements under which work is being performed,” said Arun. “As a result, the labour laws do not adequately address non-standard forms of work and have disguised employment relationships as well as increased the commercialization of the work relations and work in informal economy. These phenomena not only harm workers but also the government and the economy.”

The workshop presented the review on states of industrial relations and dispute settlement mechanisms in Indonesia as well as the existing training programmes and curriculums in PPSDM. Using participatory approaches involving group discussions, case studies, role-playings and quizzes, the participants learnt effective and attractive ways to improve and update the industrial relations training curriculum, including identify the time frame for implementation and making such improvements.

PPSDM is established based on the Manpower Ministerial Regulation No. 1 of 2021 concerning Organization and Work Procedure of the Ministry of Manpower to support the Ministry’s staff education and training under the coordination of the Secretary General. PPSDM is in charge for developing basic and advanced trainings for mediators, labour inspectors, employment service officers and examiners of occupational safety and health (OSH) to ensure the well-functioning of labour administration.