SDG 8.2.2 Employment Practice: Recognition of Unions
Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia
Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) recognises the right of all its employees to form and join trade unions and employee associations. Its lecturers and staff come from Indonesia and abroad, and about two in five of its faculty members are women. As an employer bound by Law No. 21 of 2000 on Trade Unions, UIII recognises that every one of them, regardless of gender, nationality, religion or employment status, may form or join a union of their choice, take part in its activities and be represented by it, without discrimination or retaliation.
The recognition rests on the Indonesian Constitution and labour law, which guarantee these rights to every worker and protect them with criminal sanctions, and on Indonesia’s ratification of ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98. UIII applies them through its Statute, Government Regulation No. 23 of 2019, which gives non-civil-servant employees the same rights and duties as civil servants, prohibits discrimination in the personnel system and includes lecturer representatives in the Academic Senate, and through its own instruments on equal treatment and channels for employees to raise concerns with the leadership (Table 1).
Table 1. Recognition of unions at UIII, in place in 2025.
| Element | Content | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Constitutional and legal guarantee | Freedom of association; right of every worker to form and join a union; prohibition of anti-union discrimination; collective labour agreements | 1945 Constitution, Art. 28 and 28E(3); Law No. 21/2000; Law No. 13/2003, Art. 104 and 116–135 |
| International standards | Freedom of association and protection of the right to organise; right to organise and bargain collectively | ILO Convention No. 87 (Presidential Decree No. 83/1998); ILO Convention No. 98 (Law No. 18/1956) |
| UIII Statute | Equal rights and duties of non-civil-servant and civil-servant employees; personnel system without discrimination by ethnicity, religion, race or group; foreign nationals employed as UIII staff; lecturer representatives in the Academic Senate | Government Regulation No. 23/2019, Art. 44(1), 48(3), 52(2), 54 and 57 |
| Equal treatment of women and international staff | Equal opportunity regardless of gender, nationality, religion or other grounds; guaranteed rights of women and people from developing countries | Rector’s Circular No. 1c/2025; Rector’s Regulation No. 23/2023 |
| Employee voice | Right to give advice and raise concerns with the leadership; employee associations. Scope: Employees may communicate constructive feedback and recommendations concerning work-unit management, workplace matters, and the advancement of UIII. | Right to Provide Suggestions to Institutional Leadership. Regulation: Rights and Obligations of Employees of Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII): • Article 6(f): Permanent employees are entitled to provide suggestions to the leadership for the advancement of their work units and/or UIII. • Article 7(g): Permanent Lecturers and Permanent Education Personnel are entitled to provide suggestions to the leadership for the advancement of their work units and/or UIII. • Article 9(e): Non-Permanent Education Personnel are entitled to provide suggestions to the leadership for the advancement of their work units and/or UIII. |
1. Legal Recognition of Unions
Indonesian law requires every employer, including UIII, to recognize the right of every worker, whatever their sex or nationality, to form and join a trade union, and protects union members from discrimination (Table 2).
Table 2. Indonesian law and ILO conventions on labour rights.
| Instrument | Provisions |
|---|---|
| 1945 Constitution, Art. 28 and 28E(3) | Freedom of association and assembly and of expressing opinions is guaranteed by law; everyone has the right to freedom of association, assembly and expression |
| Law No. 21 of 2000 on Trade Unions | Every worker has the right to form and become a member of a trade union (Art. 5); unions may negotiate collective labour agreements and represent workers in disputes (Art. 25); no one may prevent workers from forming, joining or not joining a union or carrying out union activities, including by dismissal, demotion, withholding wages, intimidation or campaigns against unions (Art. 28), on pain of criminal sanctions (Art. 43) |
| Law No. 13 of 2003 on Manpower, as amended by Law No. 6 of 2023 | Every worker has the right to form and join a trade union (Art. 104); collective labour agreements negotiated between unions and employers (Art. 116–135); employers with ten or more workers must have company regulations, prepared with consideration of workers’ representatives, where there is no collective agreement (Art. 108–110) |
| ILO Convention No. 87 (1948), ratified by Presidential Decree No. 83 of 1998 | Freedom of association and protection of the right to organise, without distinction whatsoever |
| ILO Convention No. 98 (1949), ratified by Law No. 18 of 1956 | Protection against anti-union discrimination; promotion of voluntary collective bargaining |
| Law No. 20 of 2023 on the State Civil Apparatus | Civil servants associate through the professional corps of the State Civil Apparatus (Korps Profesi ASN) |
These rights belong to every person who works for wages, including women and foreign nationals employed in Indonesia. Law No. 21 of 2000 forbids any employer from obstructing union membership or activity, and UIII, as a state university, is bound to respect them.
SDGs Relevance: Decent Work and Economic Growth (8.8), Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (16.7, 16.10)
2. The UIII Statute
Government Regulation No. 23 of 2019 on the Statute of UIII, in force since 2019, sets the foundations of UIII’s personnel system. UIII’s employees are lecturers and administrative staff, civil servants and non-civil servants, and the rights and duties of non-civil-servant employees are equal to those of civil servants (Art. 48). The personnel system for non-civil-servant employees must be open, performance-based, and free from distinction by ethnicity, religion, race or group (Art. 52(2)). Foreign nationals may be employed as non-civil-servant UIII staff (Art. 57), so that international staff are part of the same personnel system and enjoy its rights, including salary and protection (Art. 54). The Academic Senate includes representatives of the lecturers (Art. 44(1)), and outsourced workers are engaged in accordance with labour legislation (Art. 56(1)).
Public access: https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/104451/pp-no-23-tahun-2019
3. Equal Treatment of Women and International Staff
UIII’s instruments on equal treatment ensure that women and international staff enjoy these rights on the same terms as other employees. Rector’s Circular No. 1c/Rek/UIII/SE.01/1/2025 commits the University to equal opportunities, access and services regardless of ethnicity, religion, race, gender, social status, physical ability, culture or minority status, guarantees the rights of vulnerable groups, including women and people from developing countries, and imposes sanctions for discrimination. Rector’s Regulation No. 23 of 2023 guarantees women equal opportunity with men to carry out work, duties, functions, rights and responsibilities. Women make up 80 of UIII’s 203 faculty staff, and the University employs foreign lecturers under individual contracts (Rector’s Regulation No. 5 of 2025, Art. 5(1)(b)).
Public access: https://jdih.uiii.ac.id/detail/474
SDGs Relevance: Gender Equality (5.1, 5.5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (8.8), Reduced Inequalities (10.2, 10.7)
4. Employee Voice and Representation
Rector’s Regulation No. 4 of 2025 on the UIII Personnel System gives every permanent lecturer, permanent staff member and non-permanent employee the right to give advice and raise concerns with the leadership for the improvement of the work unit and the University (Art. 6(f), 7(g), 8(c) and 9(e)). The codes of ethics prohibit arbitrary or retaliatory treatment and abuse of authority, protecting employees who speak up, and the appeal process described in UIII’s evidence for indicator 8.2.8 allows any employee to challenge decisions on pay and employment rights.
Table 3. Employee associations and representation at UIII, 2025.
| Association or body | Members | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Senate: lecturer representatives | Lecturers of each faculty | Represent lecturers in the Academic Senate, which sets academic policy (Statute, Art. 44(1)) | Academic Senate: Lecturer Representatives Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) recognizes the importance of academic participation and faculty representation in institutional governance. The Academic Senate serves as an academic governance body that provides a forum for academic deliberation, representation, and the formulation of academic policies. Through the representation of lecturers from the university's faculties, academic staff have an institutional channel to contribute their perspectives, provide recommendations, and participate in discussions concerning the university's academic direction and development. In accordance with Article 44(1) of the UIII Statute, the Academic Senate is recognized as an institutional body involved in establishing academic policies. The representation of lecturers from each faculty enables academic perspectives from different disciplinary areas to be considered in institutional-level deliberations and policy discussions. This arrangement supports academic participation in governance and ensures that the formulation of academic policies is informed by the perspectives and expertise of the university's academic community. Lecturer representatives in the Academic Senate contribute to institutional academic governance through the following functions: Academic Policy Participation: Participate in deliberations and discussions concerning the formulation and development of university academic policies. Faculty Representation: Convey academic perspectives, interests, and recommendations from their respective faculties. Academic Quality and Development: Contribute insights and recommendations concerning academic standards, programme development, and the improvement of educational quality. Institutional Academic Governance: Participate in academic decision-making and provide input on matters affecting the university's academic direction. Communication and Consultation: Facilitate communication between faculty academic communities and the university's academic governance structure. |
| Management Board of the Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) Unit of the Indonesian Civil Servants Corps (KORPRI) according to Decree of the Management Board of the Ministry of Religious Affairs KORPRI No. 74/DP-KORPRI/X/2025 | UIII leadership, lecturers, and staff. | Promoting professionalism and integrity, strengthening solidarity and unity, protecting members' professional interests and welfare, supporting capacity development and continuous professional growth, facilitating social and humanitarian initiatives, and contributing to the achievement of UIII's institutional objectives. | The Management Board of the KORPRI Unit of Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) was established pursuant to the Decree of the Management Board of the Ministry of Religious Affairs KORPRI No. 74/DP-KORPRI/X/2025. The KORPRI Unit serves to promote professionalism and integrity, strengthen solidarity and unity among members, represent members' professional interests and welfare, support capacity development, facilitate social and humanitarian initiatives, and contribute to the achievement of UIII's institutional objectives. The establishment of this organizational unit provides a formal channel through which eligible employees can strengthen professional relationships, communicate collective aspirations, and participate in organizational activities. |
SDGs Relevance: Decent Work and Economic Growth (8.8), Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (16.7)
5. Public Evidence
Rector’s Circular No. 1c/Rek/UIII/SE.01/1/2025: https://jdih.uiii.ac.id/detail/474
Codes of ethics: https://jdih.uiii.ac.id/detail/127; https://jdih.uiii.ac.id/detail/87; https://jdih.uiii.ac.id/detail/129
Rector’s Regulations No. 4 of 2025 and No. 23 of 2023: https://jdih.uiii.ac.id/
References
[1] Government of Indonesia. 1945 Constitution, Articles 28 and 28E(3).
[2] Government of Indonesia. Law No. 21 of 2000 on Trade Unions.
[3] Government of Indonesia. Law No. 13 of 2003 on Manpower, as amended by Law No. 6 of 2023 on Job Creation.
[4] Government of Indonesia. Presidential Decree No. 83 of 1998 ratifying ILO Convention No. 87; Law No. 18 of 1956 ratifying ILO Convention No. 98.
[5] Government of Indonesia. Law No. 20 of 2023 on the State Civil Apparatus.
[6] Government of Indonesia. Government Regulation No. 23 of 2019 on the Statute of Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/104451/pp-no-23-tahun-2019
[7] Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. Rector’s Regulation No. 4 of 2025 on the UIII Personnel System.
[8] Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. Rector’s Circular No. 1c/Rek/UIII/SE.01/1/2025 on Strengthening an Inclusive and Anti-Discriminatory Campus. 2 January 2025.
[9] Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. Rector’s Regulation No. 23 of 2023 on Gender-Responsive and Child-Friendly Workplace Facilities. 1 September 2023.
[10] Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. Rector’s Regulation No. 5 of 2025 on Salaries and Other Income for UIII Employees. 6 January 2025.
[11] Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. Laporan Submisi QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2027: faculty staff by gender.