Building respectful and cooperative workplaces in Indonesia’s coffee sector

TANGGAMUS DISTRICT, Lampung, Indonesia (ILO News) - As an agronomist in middle management at KUB Bintang Jaya, a coffee‑collecting business group in Tanggamus District, Lampung, from which Nestlé sources its coffee, Annilen Vio Merila must maintain smooth daily communication with her line managers, colleagues, Nestlé agronomists and coffee farmers. Much of her work involves coordinating field activities and farmer trainings, where clear and effective communication is essential.

However, she acknowledged that interacting with people from diverse backgrounds, each with different responsibilities and interests, is not always easy. “I always try to communicate clearly,” she said. “But if the person you speak to does not listen attentively or misinterprets what you say because of preconceived opinions and assumptions, misunderstandings can happen easily. This is not good for how we work together and can lead to conflict.”

Annilen is one of 60 participants from business groups, companies and farmer group leaders within the Nestlé coffee supply chain as well as members of the Nestlé agronomist team, who attended a training on effective workplace cooperation and respectful working environments. Held from 25-26 November in Lampung City, the training was jointly organized by the ILO and Nestlé Indonesia, facilitated by Kemitraan Kerja Foundation (KKF), an Indonesian organization promoting decent work and responsible business practices.

© ILO

© ILO

The ILO’s contribution was delivered through its Vision Zero Fund Indonesia project, which aims to strengthen workplace safety and health, labour law compliance, social protection, and gender equality across Indonesia’s coffee supply chain. These same values are also consistently upheld at Nestlé, where the people, as a ‘force for good’, are at the heart of the company.

A combination of training methods were used, including presentations, case studies and knowledge‑sharing on best practices. Through these approaches the participants learned about the many benefits of effective workplace cooperation. These include fostering harmonious worker–management relations based on constructive, open and trust‑based dialogue, as well as improving productivity and compliance performance.

The training also introduced essential models and techniques to help participants strengthen their skills in communication and active listening, providing feedback, joint problem‑solving, and conflict management. The session concluded with participants developing action plans for future follow‑up activities.

“I learned how to express opinions appropriately, provide feedback without causing offence, and draw conclusions based on facts. Clearer and more structured communication creates a safer and more comfortable working environment and supports higher productivity,” shared Annilen. “The lessons from the training can also be directly applied in our daily work activities, including teamwork, meetings and discussions.”

Adi Wicaksana, Head of Crop Agriculture at Nestlé Indonesia, expresses the importance of enforcing a culture of clear communication, mutual respect and constructive collaboration is crucial in a professional landscape, especially in the coffee supply chain.

“Effective communication and respectful workplace relationships are essential for day-to-day collaboration across our coffee supply chain,” he shared. “By working with the ILO, Nestlé Indonesia seeks to strengthen these capabilities among our partners and teams, helping them manage differences constructively, and promote safe, inclusive and productive working environments. We believe that strong workplace cooperation and mutual respect are fundamental to building a resilient and sustainable coffee supply chain.”

© ILO

© ILO

As part of the workplace cooperation component, the training emphasized the importance of creating a respectful working environment free from discrimination and harassment. Participants were also introduced to ILO Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment as the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender‑based violence and harassment.

Engaging employees through a culture rooted in respect for themselves, others, diversity, and for the future is what Nestlé as a company always aspires to be. Nestlé firmly enforces ILO Convention No. 190, as reflected in its zero-tolerance policy towards harassment, ensuring that people are treated fairly, trusted to deliver and have to feel that they belong in the workplace. Beyond its own workforce, Nestlé also strengthens the capacity of its direct suppliers to uphold the commitment of gender equity, non-discrimination and non-harassment as part of the Supplier Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) Assurance Framework.

“Promoting workplace cooperation and a respectful working environment in line with ILO international standards, particularly ILO Convention No. 190, is at the heart of the ILO’s work. We are happy to collaborate with Nestlé Indonesia to advance these topics in coffee‑collecting companies and among coffee supply chain actors at large,” stated Kristina Kurths, Project Manager of the ILO Vision Zero Fund Indonesia.

Imas Syiatur Rosidah, S. Akun, an administrative officer at KUB ASRB, appreciated the new knowledge she gained on creating a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. She admitted that she had previously been unaware of the various forms these behaviours can take.

“Sometimes we joke about a colleague, thinking it is harmless. But the person being joked about can be hurt by it,” she shared. “It is therefore important for us to know what forms of discrimination and harassment exist, what can be done to prevent unacceptable behaviour, and what the company’s responsibilities are regarding prevention and victim support.”