Government Strengthens Layoff Mitigation Efforts Amid Rising Concerns  

Jakarta: The government is strengthening dialogue, fact-finding efforts, and early warning systems to mitigate potential layoffs.
 
“We are acting to ensure that workers’ rights remain protected and that all legal provisions are upheld,” Said Iqbal, Special Advisor to the President on Manpower and Labor Welfare, said in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
 
The move follows recent concerns over potential layoffs at Tokopedia and its parent company TikTok.
 
“The government is seeking to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is happening. I will meet with both workers and company representatives to assess the situation,” Said Iqbal said.
 
He noted that a similar dialogue-based approach had previously succeeded in resolving the threat of layoffs affecting more than 4.000 workers.
 
Said Iqbal would, however, cancel his planned meeting after the issue was successfully resolved through a separate government mediation, with TikTok management confirming that no layoffs would take place.
 
The company later clarified that the changes were part of internal restructuring programs.
 
Moving forward, Manpower Minister Yassierli assured that the Layoff Mitigation Task Force (Satgas PHK) would continue to monitor vulnerable sectors.
 
The task force has also been instructed to encourage labor dispute resolution between employers and employees before layoffs are carried out.
 
“The Layoff Mitigation Task Force is responsible for providing early warnings of potential layoffs. It is also tasked with mitigating and mediating labor disputes,” Yassierli said.
 
Labor analyst Timboel Siregar expressed hope that the task force would support industrial sustainability, while protecting workers’ rights and maintaining the resilience of the national labor market.
 
(Jonathan Sianto)