Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) has requested that the government conduct a comprehensive study on the potential impacts of implementing the Decent Work in the Platform Economy convention, which has emerged as a new international labor standard.
"Apindo urges the government to conduct a comprehensive study, including a regulatory impact assessment (RIA)," said Darwoto, Apindo's Vice Chairman for Labor Affairs, in a written statement on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Darwoto explained that the convention on decent work within the platform ecosystem is one of the agreements forged during the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC). Despite being a product of that collective agreement, Darwoto clarified that member states do not automatically enforce the convention, as it still requires domestic ratification.
Prior to any ratification, Darwoto emphasized the importance of exploring the socioeconomic impacts of implementing the convention. Such a study is crucial to crafting appropriate and proportional regulations aimed at maintaining sustainability and bolstering the economic growth generated by the digital ecosystem.
He highlighted one of the consensuses approved in the convention text by all member states. The consensus dictates that the legal status of platform workers cannot be imposed using a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach. In other words, the convention agrees on granting extensive flexibility to member countries in determining the legal status of platform workers.
The convention does not mandate that the legal relationship of platform workers must be categorized as formal employees; instead, they can be classified as independent entrepreneurs while acknowledging proportional rights and obligations according to the legal status.
He further requested that the selection of these legal status categories be carefully weighed and adjusted to the local context, unique operational characteristics, and the needs of labor development and human resources in Indonesia.
According to him, the impact will be significant on both the availability of job opportunities and access to efficient services that benefit the community as platform users.
Darwoto stated that Apindo is committed to supporting social protection and welfare for all workers, including those within the digital ecosystem.
However, Apindo reminds that ideal and sustainable labor protection can only be achieved alongside a wide availability of job opportunities. He also noted President Prabowo Subianto's target of creating 19 million new job opportunities within five years.
Meanwhile, data from the Central Statistics Agency as of February 2026 indicates that Indonesia's open unemployment rate still stands at 4.68 percent, which is equivalent to roughly 7.24 million people.
Therefore, Darwoto believes that overly rigid protective regulations risk stifling emerging industries if they are not balanced with an economic ecosystem capable of absorbing labor.
Hence, Darwoto urges the government to formulate progressive policies that focus on creating job opportunities as widely as possible. According to him, such policies should be implemented by favoring economic growth, streamlining investment bureaucracy, and providing a safe space for technological innovation.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2109401/apindo-urges-government-to-review-new-global-labor-standard