16 October, 2018In Jakarta on 10 October, 450 unionists from IndustriALL’s Indonesian affiliates celebrated a successful campaign for 14 weeks maternity leave, aiming to encourage more unions and employers to include improved maternity protection in collective agreements as well as national legislation.
As a result of a campaign run by the IndustriALL Women’s Committee in Indonesia, around 18 companies have signed collective agreements increasing maternity leave to 14 weeks and more.
An award was given to unions and employers who had improved maternity protection, especially prolonging maternity leave from 12 weeks to 14 weeks more.
Together with the employer, unions at Glaxo Wellcome Indonesia, Takeda, Honda Parts Precision Manufacturing, Omron Indonesia, Ciba Vision, Asahimas, Reckitt Benckiser, Johnson&Johnsons, Absolute Services & Target Sekurindo, and Unilever all received the award.
When receiving the 14 weeks award for having introduced 3,5 months maternity leave, the employer representative from Takeda Indonesia said that employers and unions share the concerns for improving maternity protection in collective agreements.
We will continue our campaign for better maternity protection and hope that the award will encourage more unions to follow,
said Iwan Kusmawan, IndustriALL Indonesia council chair.
Through a project funded by Mondiaal FNV, the Indonesian women’s committee has campaigned for increased maternity leave on a national level, working with the government and parliament on the ratification of ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection, as well as on a federal level through collective bargaining agreements.
The women’s committee has set up a model CBA on better maternity protection, containing provisions like 14 weeks leave, menstruation leave, breastfeeding time, protection for pregnant workers, and a lactation room.
Unions from Glaxo Wellcome Indonesia said that they will continue to fight for maternity leave to be increased from four to six months as “better maternity protection means a better future for our children”.