Jakarta, The PRAKARSA (Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy) — Dwi Rahayu Ningrum, a Sustainable Development Policy Researcher, was a speaker at a seminar organized by The Reform Initiatives Indonesia. She presented a presentation on the challenges and opportunities in the nickel industry in Indonesia. The seminar was themed “Building Productive Harmony between Foreign-Domestic Workers and Local Communities: Challenges, Opportunities, and Downstream Investment Policies in Indonesia”. On Thursday (12/12/2024).
Dwi emphasized that financial actors and investors have a crucial role as “enablers” in creating harmony between foreign workers, domestic workers, and local communities. According to him, to achieve sustainable development goals, it is important for all parties to collaborate well. “This harmonization will not only support productivity, but also provide broader social benefits for the surrounding community and the welfare of workers,” he said.
In his presentation, Dwi described various challenges faced in the nickel industry, especially related to employment. He noted wage discrimination between foreign and local workers, as well as between male and female workers. In addition, he highlighted inadequate working conditions, which often ignore occupational health and safety (K3).
“Poor OSH protection and low living standards of workers are serious issues that must be addressed to create a fair and productive work environment,” he added. Dwi also stressed the importance of attention to reproductive health rights for workers, which are often overlooked.
Dwi Rahayu provided a series of recommendations to the financial sector to support positive change. He suggested that financial institutions conduct due diligence in environmental and social aspects before providing financing. "This is important to ensure that the investments made do not harm the community and the environment," he explained.
In addition, he stressed the need for an effective complaint mechanism for communities affected by industrial activities. "Investors and companies must be responsible for the impacts they cause and provide channels for problem solving," he said.