KSBSI Will Offer Digital Platform Worker Protection Issues and Climate Change at G20/L20 Meeting
“Some international practices can be a lesson for us. Take, for example, France, where the Supreme Court passed a regulation on the protection of platform workers in August 2016. This is worthy of emulation.”
Rekson Silaban
Technological developments not only bring benefits to civilization, but at the same time raise concerns about the loss of manual jobs. However, KSBSI Chair of Advisory Rekson Silaban believes that technology leading to digitalization has initiated the growth of new jobs based on digital platforms.
“The emergence of a digital workforce platform has created wider job opportunities, even reaching disabled workers,” explained Rekson when giving a presentation at the L20 Meeting Preparation Workshop with the theme ‘Trade Union Exchanges On G20/L20’ which was held in a series of national discussions at Teraskita. DAFAM Hotel Group, Jakarta, Monday (2021, August 30).
Rekson then illustrated to the seminar participants who were present about one of the jobs that used the platform, namely Gojek. With this platform, now apart from being able to create jobs, it also allows workers who are often called partners to get more flexible working hours.
The former BPJAMSOSTEK Supervisory Board then continued, although digital platform-based job opportunities are very open, digital platform workers are a vulnerable sector.
“Platform workers have no work contracts, unclear remuneration, excessive working hours, no OSH, and are not covered by social security. They are very vulnerable because they do not have job protection,” he said.
According to Rekson, unions must support public policies such as expanding access to social security protection to all workers, including platform workers. In addition, it is important that efforts be made to facilitate the formation of national and cross-border unions to advocate for the rights of platform workers, as well as support the formation of laws that clarify the status of platform workers.
“Some international practices can be a lesson for us. Take, for example, France, where the Supreme Court passed a regulation on the protection of platform workers in August 2016. This is worthy of emulation,” he said.
At the end of his presentation, Rekson emphasized that trade unions need to immediately take a stand to support ITUC in building a New Social Contract to respond to the five demands of workers. These include job creation, climate-friendly jobs with a fair transition, chain of protection for all workers, implementation of universal social protection, and equal distribution of income.
Discussing Climate Change, KSBSI Brings the Idea of Just Transition
Climate change has not received serious attention, even though global warming has become a threatening danger to the world, including the world of work. This was conveyed by the International ACV/CSC Regional Program Coordinator Maria Emeninta, in the second session of the L20 Meeting Preparation Workshop in Jakarta.
“Until 2030, the continuous increase in air temperature will eliminate 72 million jobs, especially in the energy and coal sectors,” said Maria who also serves as the International Department of KSBSI.
From KSBSI’s research, Maria added, the energy sector, especially coal, is still the largest sector that contributes to emissions. Therefore, several countries have taken the initiative to eliminate the coal industry. The idea to abolish the coal industry was initiated in Germany, which is considered a preventive measure from climate change. Of course, this will affect about 50 million coal sector workers worldwide.
“To anticipate the worst impacts of climate change, we need ideas that can answer social problems that we may face. The Just Transition concept, which was first introduced by ITUC in 2012 at the UN forum in Rio De Jenairo, has now become the ILO’s Guide to realizing a just transition for workers and society in general,” said Maria.
Regarding the descriptions offered by Just Transition, Maria said, among others, providing social protection for workers affected by climate change policies, as well as providing training and skill enhancement. In addition, the Just Transition campaign also encourages the creation of a social space for dialogue between trade unions and stakeholders.
“We hope that in the future, access to information and access to greener jobs can be realized for workers who are affected by climate change policies,” she said.
In conclusion, Maria emphasized that KSBSI will bring the issue of climate change as one of the priority issues in the global movement. Also, the Just Transition concept is an offer concept that will be urged to be implemented immediately, especially in Indonesia.
In the future, this series of discussions will continue in the Asia Pacific region by involving several partner unions. These include trade unions from Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India and the Philippines which will be held the following week (September 14, 2021).
Although most of these countries are not yet part of the G20 countries, the problem of digital platform workers is experienced by almost all countries in the world. Therefore, KSBSI who was appointed as the “national chair” felt the need to expand this discussion to a wider level, especially in the Asian region.
