Background

There is a need to continue promoting effective collective bargaining in Indonesia. Collective bargaining should ensure that fair bargains are struck between the workers and employers to introduce more adaptable agreement that guarantee workers’ rights in line with the changing of business process due to global supply chain and globalization. Under the framework of “Better Work Indonesia (BWI) and “Labour Standards in Global Supply Chains: A programme of action for Asia and the garment sector” (LSGSC), which aims to enhance the live of workers and decent work opportunities in the garment supply chains in Indonesia, the ILO is supporting the capacity building of workers and employers to conduct bargaining and negotiation using eveidenced-based approach and promote good faith among the parties.

To promote effective collective bargaining, LSGSC will provide training and coaching to representatives of trade unions and management on negotiating and formulating collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in selected enterprises in its target areas, namely the districts of: Bandung, Subang, Tangerang, Semarang, Boyolali, Wonogiri, Klaten. In phase 2 of its implementation in 2017, the project had provided training and coaching on effective collective bargaining to representatives of trade unions and management from seven pilot enterprises. Majority of these enterprises has managed to apply the knowledge and skills possessed from the training in the renegotiation and reformulation processes of their collective bargaining agreement. This year, the project is providing training and coaching to 10 pilot enterprises in the same target areas and industry sector.

BWI has been working since 2007 to improve working conditions and promote competitiveness in global garment supply chains. As a result of their participation in BWI, factories have steadily improved compliance with ILO core labour standards and national legislation. This has significantly improved working conditions while enhancing the productivity and profitability of factories. BWI is also playing an important role in promoting gender equality. BWI is encouraging the factories to use collective bargaining as a mean to promote non-discrimination including the issues on sexual harassment, improving women’s voice and representation, maternity protection and improving workers’ health and their family.

In light of the above and taking the momentum of commemoration of International Women’s Day, LSGC and BWI is organizing a half-day event to launch the LSGSC Pilot Enterprise on Effective Collective Bargaining programme, followed by a dialogue on mainstreaming women workers’ rights and gender equality in the collective bargaining.

Objectives

At the end of the launching it is expected that:

• 10 (ten) enterprises would have signed their commitment of participation in the programme; and
• Participants of the dialogue would have better understanding on mainstreaming gender equality in the collective bargaining especially at the enterprise level.