Jakarta (ANTARA) - Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Puan Maharani, has urged the government to ensure worker protection, considering that many workers are losing their jobs amid the current global economic volatility.
According to Maharani, workers are currently facing several employment challenges, including high unemployment rate, lack of jobs, low skills, wage inequality, and layoffs.
"The unstable global economic conditions have caused many workers to lose their jobs and income," she said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
Taking note of the recent waves of layoffs, she called for strengthening the government's role in supporting employment and protecting workers' rights.
Maharani emphasized the DPR's commitment to continuing to monitor the situation, including providing assistance to workers affected by layoffs and ensuring their rights are fulfilled.
She furthermore highlighted the issue of age discrimination faced by job seekers, citing the 25–31 age limit for many job openings in Indonesia.
She expressed the hope that the government will encourage companies and employers to be more open to older applicants, since the prevailing age limit would make it difficult for those affected by layoffs to return to work in the formal sector.
The House Speaker also emphasized the importance of workers adapting to changes in technology and the global economy because they affect employment in the country, such as the emergence of new jobs and the loss of some jobs.
She said that the ability to adapt is essential because around 58 percent of workers in Indonesia work in the informal sector, which contributes to their vulnerability since there is no career path and the work hours are too long.
She then underscored the need to make the 2025 International Workers' Day a momentum for all elements of the nation to reflect and ensure that justice and prosperity for workers become the basis of every policy.
