As a UN Specialized Agency, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has developed the global Decent Work Program as part of its contribution to promoting "opportunities for women and men to obtain decent productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity." The Jakarta Post talked to officer-in-charge of ILO Jakarta, Peter van Rooij, on the progress of the program and the issue of child labor. Here are the excerpts:
Question: Can you elaborate on the ILO and its Decent Work Program (DWP) in Indonesia?
Answer: The ILO as a tripartite organization is governed not only by its member states, which now consist of more than 180 countries, but it is also represented by workers and employers' organizations represented by trade union confederations and the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), respectively.
To understand the framework above is crucial when we talk about the Decent Work Program because we need to work with all stakeholders.
Now we're conducting the DWP by focusing on four main pillars: standards, employment creation, social protection and social dialogue.
Why are these pillars important?
Standards entail international conventions on labor and recommendations to set a floor on different aspects of labor and employment. This is important because if there were no international standards on labor in trade, then free trade would be at risk of sparking "a race to the bottom". And the focus would be on cost only, without considering other factors, such as risk and growth.
At the same time, we all agree that there should be no child labor and discrimination in free trade, so that's why we can neither overlook nor ignore the importance of global standards.
The ILO has eight core conventions on Fundamental Human Rights that deal with forced labor, freedom of association and protection of the right to organize, right to organize and collective bargaining, equal remuneration, abolition of forced labor, discrimination, minimum age and worst forms of child labor.
Interestingly, Indonesia is the first country to ratify all the conventions in the entire Asia-Pacific region, also the fifth country in the world to do so. That means Indonesia has taken a stance on the issues of labor and free trade, yet it also has to make sure that the system supports decent work conditions for labor.
What do such conventions mean for Indonesia?
It means Indonesia has to translate such conventions into its national laws. The process has been done and the next step is to ensure that the implementation is effective, which is the hardest one, as we need to promote capacity building and awareness about these conventions.
What about the relationship among employment creation, social protection and free trade?
Free trade definitely has an impact on employment, whether it be job creation or losses. The ILO has urged Indonesia to pay more attention on how it could create more and better employment, especially for the youth.
One of the most important dimensions that does not get enough attention is the employment effect of trade itself. It's not just how many jobs Indonesia can make, but the country also needs to focus on workers who lose their jobs due to free trade. In addition, job quality is also crucial to avoiding "a race to the bottom", a race to the cheapest production in working conditions in which people are not getting paid decently and are working in unsafe environments. All of these things relate to the third pillar of the DWP, which is social protection. (tsy)
