ILO-KADIN forge a partnership to improve OSH and COVID-19 prevention at workplace

The ILO and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) have joined forces to strengthen the protection of workers as well as business continuity by improving occupational safety and health (OSH) management and COVID-19 prevention measures in the workplace.

Press release | Jakarta, Indonesia | 09 March 2022
JAKARTA (Joint Press Release) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) have joined forces to strengthen the protection of workers as well as business continuity by improving occupational safety and health (OSH) management and COVID-19 prevention measures in the workplace.

The signing of the formal agreement by Michiko Miyamoto, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Adi Mahfudz, Deputy Chairperson of KADIN for Manpower.
The two partners sign a formal agreement today (9/3) through a virtual meeting to enforce the initiative pertaining to workplace strategies to prevent and reduce transmission and maintain healthy business operations in each workplace, while bolstering awareness on the preventive culture through ILO’s COVID-19 risk assessment service. The ILO provides this free of charge risk assessment service to more than 1,500 workplaces in Indonesia.

The ILO is pleased to formalize an agreement with KADIN to reach more employers and expand critical awareness and effort to create a plan for safe work environment that protect workers and communities from the risks to COVID-19 through a fitting risk assessment."

Michiko Miyamoto, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste
The ILO with support from the Government of Japan has developed this risk assessment service to help businesses assess the risks of COVID-19 in workplaces, and allow businesses to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of their employees. The risk assessment is part of OSH mechanism and management that could help businesses proactively reduce risk and advance safety at the workplace.

“The ILO is pleased to formalize an agreement with KADIN to reach more employers and expand critical awareness and effort to create a plan for safe work environment that protect workers and communities from the risks to COVID-19 through a fitting risk assessment,” said ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Michiko Miyamoto.

Adi Mahfudz, Deputy Chairperson of KADIN for Manpower also underscored that renewed attention to health and safety risks during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic leads to enhanced workers protection and profitable business processes. The pandemic has made the business world realized to make health and safety as a key part of economic growth, which concurrently will help economic recovery and for building resilience against future shocks.

"The joint effort between ILO and KADIN will have a positive impact not only on the protection of workers, but also for recovery efforts in the health and economic sectors. We are optimistic that the situation will gradually improve, and we urge workers and companies to continue improving the OSH management and increase awareness of health protocols in the workplace," said Adi.

The joint effort between ILO and KADIN will have a positive impact not only on the protection of workers, but also for recovery efforts in the health and economic sectors."

Adi Mahfudz, Deputy Chairperson of KADIN for Manpower
Through the signed agreement, members of KADIN nationwide will receive a technical assistant from OSH doctors and experts to develop unique action plans to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at their workplaces. They will also gain a greater understanding of OSH standards to overcome and prevent COVID-19 risks in order to build more resilient businesses for any future disruptions.

Other benefits offered by the risk assessment service for businesses include steps and means to ensure business continuity, leverage resources and networks to maximise workers safety and health protection, improve workplace resilience and enhance social dialogues between employers and workers at the enterprise level to create a safe workplace environment. The risk assessment is also developed based on the national guidelines to support businesses to operate more safely and sustainably during the pandemic.

The Government of Japan has cooperated with Indonesia in response to the pandemic with various projects as a strategic partner of Indonesia. The project with ILO will contribute to risk control of the COVID-19 transmission among workers in workplaces, as well as strengthen both employers and workers capacity in OSH. “It is important to recognize where the risk of infection lies in each workplace and to implement appropriate countermeasures against that risk,” said Hiroki Sasaki, Labour Attaché of the Economic Section, Embassy of Japan in Indonesia

For more information, please contact:

Adelin Alexandra 
Communication Officer for ILO's COVID-19 Prevention at Workplaces
Email: alexandra@ilo.org