The ILO, through its Realizing Trade Gains Free from Gender Discrimination and Child Labour (RealGains) project, funded by the Government of Canada, officially launched four upgraded grievance applications aimed at improving workplace conditions and empowering workers in Indonesia's garment, footwear and palm oil sectors. Held in Jakarta on 29 October, these applications were developed in collaboration with five trade union confederations, one trade union network, and 14 trade union federations.
The first three applications - SoPaN SPN, Teman Garteks and Hallo Siola - are upgraded versions of those initially launched in May 2024. They were specifically developed for the garment sector in collaboration with the National Trade Union (SPN), the Garment and Textile Trade Union Federation (Garteks) and the Textile, Garment and Leather Trade Union Federation (FSP-TSK). These three federations are part of national trade union confederations: SPN is affiliated with the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), Garteks with the Confederation of All Trade Unions (KSBSI) and FSP-TSK with the Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI).
With the latest upgrades, these platforms have been expanded to include the footwear sector and now feature significant enhancements, including artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As of now, SoPaN SPN has the largest user base with 2,892 workers, followed by Hallo Siola with 962 users and Teman Garteks with 567 users.
We hope that trade unions in Indonesia will leverage these tools to strengthen their advocacy and better support their members.
Dede Sudono, ILO's Coordinator of the RealGains Project
SoPaN has registered 272 complaints and 514 aspirations; Hallo Siola has recorded 159 complaints and 21 aspirations; and Teman Garteks has reported 70 complaints and 34 aspirations. The primary concerns reported include work facilities, discrimination, sexual harassment and wages. Although male users dominate across all three platforms, SoPaN stands out for having a comparatively higher representation of female users.
Dede Sudono, ILO's Coordinator of the RealGains Project, explained that the AI-powered upgrades introduced include several key features: automated categorization of complaints, auto-tag generation to improve searchability and tracking, tailored follow-up recommendations to guide resolution steps and a user satisfaction rating system to monitor service quality. These enhancements are designed to streamline the complaint-handling process, reduce response times and improve the overall user experience.
"By integrating AI, we aim to empower workers with a more intuitive and transparent platform for reporting workplace issues. We hope that trade unions in Indonesia will leverage these tools to strengthen their advocacy and better support their members," she stated.
Challenges and way forward
© ILO
The three federations openly acknowledged the benefits of using AI to enhance these grievance applications. Looking ahead, they outlined several steps to strengthen implementation, including allocating an annual budget for maintenance, conducting regular awareness programmes for workers in both the garment and footwear sectors and appointing a dedicated IT team.
Iwan Kusmawan, Chair of SPN, emphasized the commitment of his institution: "It is now our responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the grievance application. With the new upgrade, we will be more proactive, not only in encouraging workers to report grievances but also in using this AI-based application as our official advocacy mechanism. This marks a significant step forward in strengthening the voice of workers and promoting decent work conditions."
This application benefits not only management, but also workers by giving them a secure and accessible channel to voice their concerns. Thus, ensuring anonymity and safeguarding personal data are key to encouraging more workers to come forward.
Trisnur Priyanto, Chair of Garteks
Similarly, Dion Untung Wijaya, Representative of Head of FSP-TSK, highlighted the value of the application for his federation: "This application is highly beneficial for our federation, especially with its upgrade and sectoral expansion. It has encouraged workers to report issues related to violence and harassment. We plan to maximize its use to increase union density and boost the participation of women workers in trade unions."
Meanwhile, Trisnur Priyanto, Chair of Garteks stated, "We want to educate workers that filing grievances is essential to creating a healthy and safe working environment. This application benefits not only management, but also workers by giving them a secure and accessible channel to voice their concerns. Thus, ensuring anonymity and safeguarding personal data are key to encouraging more workers to come forward."
A new application for the palm oil sector
© ILO
The event also marked the launch of a new website and grievance application specifically for the palm oil sector. Developed in partnership with the Trade Union Network for Palm Oil (JAPBUSI) - a coalition of 11 federations representing more than 100,000 workers nationwide - this application is tailored to the unique characteristics and needs of palm oil workers.
The JAPBUSI website and grievance application also integrate advanced features such as AI-powered automatic categorization, auto-generated tagging and complaint follow-up recommendations. By leveraging these technologies, these platforms are expected to enhance service delivery, foster stronger social dialogue and contribute to more robust protection of workers' rights in the palm oil sector.
By equipping workers with a safe, accessible and responsive platform, we aim to foster a culture of accountability and respect in the workplace, while also empowering workers, especially women.
Nursanna Marpaung, Executive Secretariat of JAPBUSI
Nursanna Marpaung, Executive Secretariat of JAPBUSI, expressed the coalition's strong commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of the newly launched grievance mechanism. She emphasized that JAPBUSI is prepared to take concrete follow-up actions, including conducting socialization campaigns, advocating for individual cases and strengthening institutional capacity to manage and respond to grievances effectively.
"We see this as a vital tool in addressing issues related to the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work as well as gender-based violence and harassment in the sector. By equipping workers with a safe, accessible and responsive platform, we aim to foster a culture of accountability and respect in the workplace, while also empowering workers, especially women," she stated.
The event concluded with the presentation of appreciation awards for 16 selected video campaigns, chosen from a total of 26 submissions developed by members of the three federations and JAPBUSI. These videos, posted on TikTok and Instagram, have collectively garnered over 2,000 likes.
In addition, the launch ceremony was held both in person and online, with a livestream broadcast on ILO TV Indonesia, that reached around 300 participants and viewers.
© ILO
