ABOUT US
Present in 13 countries across three continents, Better Work brings together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, global brands, factory owners and workers to improve working conditions in the garment industry and make the sector more competitive.
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WHAT WE DO
Better Work engages with the garment industry at the factory, national and international levels. We engage with factories through assessment, advisory and training visits, and we use our data and evidence to inform national and international policy discussions.
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WHERE WE WORK
Better Work began in Cambodia over 20 years ago. Since then, we have expanded to 13 country programmes, with opportunities for further expansion - to new countries and new industries - on the horizon.
- COUNTRY PROGRAMMES
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How brands and retailers can get involved How factories can get involved Media and general inquiries
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OUR EVIDENCE
Better Work collects data from factory assessment and advisory visits, and we work with reputable, independent academic researchers who report findings on the efficacy of our work and trends in the broader industry.
GET INVOLVED
How brands and retailers can get involved How factories can get involved Media and general inquiries
Looking for something else? Please use the contact us option to connect with a specific office or department that can best meet your needs.

Better Work Indonesia: Our partners

Better Work Indonesia

Established in 2011, the Better Work programme in Indonesia strives to improve working conditions and competitiveness in the export garment sector and has grown to include over 200 participating factories, reaching nearly 400,000 workers, of which 80 per cent are women.

Over its ten years, the programme has operated consistently at multiple levels. At the level of the individual factory, the programme provides interconnected services that support continuous improvement for competitiveness and conditions of work, such as specialized training and advisory services as well as yearly unannounced assessments of factory conditions measuring compliance with ILO core labour standards and national legislation.

Through its activities in the garment sector, Better Work Indonesia has helped participating firms improve working conditions by raising levels of compliance with national labour law and international standards. Through its convening function among key stakeholders, the programme has provided inputs and data on national labour policy in several areas.

MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMME

Our partners in Indonesia

Better Work Indonesia works closely with our parent organizations – the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group.

We also work with different stakeholders on a national level. Our Project Advisory Committee (PAC) gathers different national stakeholders to find solutions and bring improvements the garment industry. The PAC provides strategic advice on the directions of the programme, reviews progress on implementation, and serves as a platform for engagement among stakeholders on key industry issues through biannual meetings.

The BWI PAC is chaired by the Secretary-General of the Directorate-General for Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety & Health (Labour Inspection DG) of the Ministry of Manpower of Indonesia. Other members of the PAC include officials of the Labour Inspection and the Directorate-General for Industrial Relations and Social Security of the Ministry, representatives of the four most representative trade unions in the sector and the Indonesian Employers’ Association (APINDO). Donor representatives enjoy observer status in the PAC.

Better Work Indonesia Annual Report 2018: An Industry and Compliance Review

Our partners in improving working conditions in the garment industry and boosting competitiveness of the sector are:

Government

In order to achieve the BWI objectives, the programme has been working closely with the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower, particularly with the Directorate General of Labour Inspection and OSH as well as the Directorate General of Industrial Relations and Social Security. Better Work Indonesia has also been closely collaborating with the Ministry of Manpower through the establishment of its Compliance Assessment Tools as well as regular consultations with their ad-hoc team assigned to work with Better Work Indonesia.

Through the Ministerial Decree 257/2014, the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has established the labour norms expert/cadre (KNK). This is an initiative from MoM to respond to the shortage of labour inspectors on the ground. Each factory with above 100 workers is required to have a certified labour norms expert. BWI together with the Labour Inspection and OSH Directorate General is currently training enterprise advisors to become certified trainers.

In addition to the above activities, BWI will also assist the government to familiarise BWI factories with new legislation on the centralization of labour inspectors (national law 23/2014 on local autonomy), under which a number of labour inspection functions will be centralized from the district to the provincial level.

Workers & Unions

We work with unions and directly with workers to help realize their rights on the factory floor and find ways to boost their skills so that they can engage in productive discussions and negotiate with employers.

Our main trade union partners in Indonesia are:

♦ Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions: Reconciliation (Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Seluruh Indonesia Rekonsiliasi) and the Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Union (Federasi Serikat Pekerja Tekstil, Sandangdan Kulit)
♦ Confederation of Indonesian Trade Union (Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia)
♦ Confederation of Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (Konfederasi Serikat Buruh Sejahtera Indonesia) and the Federation of Garment, Textile, Leather and Shoe Trade Union (Federasi Garment, Kerajinan, Tekstil, Kulitdan Sepatu)
♦ In addition, several independent/non-confederation affiliated union in the apparel sector are also active, such as the National Workers’ Union (Serikat Pekerja Nasional – SPN) that is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union

BWI promotes social dialogue and workplace cooperation to nurture sound industrial relations at factory level. For this reason, BWI enterprise advisors always ensure the active involvement of workers and unions in the Performance Improvement Consultative Committees (PICCs), where representatives of workers and management come together to discuss and find solutions for issues arises in the factory. PICC functions are held by the Lembaga Kerja Sama Bipartit (factory level bipartite committees or LKSB) and the Panitia Pembina Keselamatan dan Kesehatan Kerja (occupational safety and health committees or P2K3).

Factories and manufacturers

Factory and manufactory enterprises are key partners in our efforts to create better conditions for garment workers in a way that also boosts business performance. We believe that effective cooperation and mutual trust between employers and their workers not only leads to better working conditions but also better results for business.

Here is the list of Participating Factories and Manufacturers in Indonesia.

Brands and retailers

Our brands, retailers and intermediaries are industry leaders in the movement to reimagine the global supply chain, where workers’ rights are realised and businesses gain a competitive advantage to grow.

Our partner brands, retailers and intermediaries commit to coordinate efforts in order to maximize impact, for example by reducing duplicate audits and by supporting improvement efforts of suppliers in a manner that is complementary and reinforces BWI’s assistance to factories.

In addition to having access to BWI assessment reports, our partners have regular interactions with BWI and the global Better Work programme to discuss industry developments and factory-level issues.

Learn more about benefits for registered brands, retailers and intermediaries

Development partners

Our work is funded through a combination of private sector fees for our services and grants from donors. We work closely with development partners to understand specific interests and goals and help to advance these goals through Better Work’s efforts. Development partners are actively engaged in our programme and are key partners in the development of strategies to improve garment sector supply chains.

Better Work Indonesia: Our partners