Indonesian Employers Seek a Stronger Voice in OECD Reforms on Jobs, Skills and Business

Phil O’Reilly, Chair of the Southeast Asia Contact Group at Business at OECD, encouraged APINDO to build this work into its existing committees, member surveys, sector engagement and advocacy.

Indonesia's path towards membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is expected to bring reforms affecting how businesses hire, train employees, compete and meet international market requirements. APINDO, Indonesia's employers' organisation, is working to give enterprises a structured voice in those decisions, bringing their everyday experience into policy discussions before new rules take shape.

The APINDO Strategy Workshop on OECD Accession, held in Jakarta on 24 September 2026, brought together representatives from APINDO, the OECD, Business at OECD and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Discussions identified labour policy, skills and responsible business conduct as three areas where employers can provide evidence, help shape reforms and prepare businesses for change, with APINDO expected to review and validate these initial priorities through its internal structures.

Bringing Workplace Experience Into Labour Reform

Potential labour reforms cover wages, labour inspection, employment relationships, dispute resolution, social protection and platform work, making the accession process relevant to businesses and workers across different parts of the economy. APINDO's contribution would focus on connecting stronger worker protection with productivity, clear regulations and practical implementation, using evidence from enterprises to explain how proposed changes could work on the ground.

Gary Rynhart of the ILO's Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP) described accession as a generational opportunity to renew policies and regulations, stressing the importance of bringing enterprise experience into the process. For APINDO, this means gathering information from members early enough to inform decisions, giving policymakers a clearer picture of business conditions and the practical challenges enterprises could face when putting reforms into practice.

Matching Training to the Skills Businesses Need

Changing demand across manufacturing, digital industries, tourism, fisheries and critical-minerals value chains is creating a need for closer links between employers and training providers. Employers and sector associations are expected to take a defined role in identifying emerging skills needs, helping shape training and expanding work-based learning, giving businesses a more direct part in preparing people for the jobs their industries require.

Massimo Geloso Grosso, Head of the OECD Jakarta Office, connected accession with human-capital development, stronger skills, and improved labour-market and social policies, noting that the process could strengthen investor confidence and reduce investment risks. Cahyadi, Assistant Deputy for Multilateral Economic Cooperation at Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, described accession as a whole-of-country effort, reflecting the breadth of participation needed to carry these changes forward.

Helping Smaller Businesses Meet Global Expectations

Growing labour, human-rights and supply-chain requirements from regulators, investors and international buyers are making responsible business conduct an increasingly practical concern for enterprises. APINDO could help translate these expectations into guidance that businesses can use, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and bring their implementation experience back into policy discussions so that reform is informed by the difficulties companies encounter.

Phil O'Reilly, Chair of the Southeast Asia Contact Group at Business at OECD, encouraged APINDO to build this work into its existing committees, member surveys, sector engagement and advocacy. He described accession as an opportunity for the organisation to strengthen its policy expertise, demonstrate its value to members and become a trusted reform partner. Rinawati Prihatiningsih, Chair of APINDO's Multilateral Committee, said the process should improve competitiveness by helping enterprises become more productive, trusted, sustainable and connected to global markets and value chains.

APINDO's next step is to consider and validate the proposed priorities internally, with ACT/EMP continuing to support member engagement, strengthen the organisation's evidence base and help it contribute to reforms affecting enterprises and workers. That preparation will give employers a stronger foundation for explaining what businesses need to adapt and how changes can support both competitive enterprises and better employment conditions.