TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia executive advisor Rachmat Gobel asked workers to stop launching protests over salary. Gobel said on Saturday, February 6, 2016 that workers must also improve their quality.

Gobel suggested that the current economic slowdown should become a momentum to boost the growth of the industry sector. Therefore, the role and quality of workers must be improved in the sector.

According to Gobel, employees are the true asset of the company, so that employees must have education and training to boost their skills. Therefore, Gobel added, Indonesia would be able to offer high-quality but cheap labors.

Gobel, who previously served as the Trade Ministry, said that labors with high skills would not need to panic if companies decided to leave Indonesia or relocate their factories to other countries. Instead, Gobel added, labors could take over the business.

Sahat Sinurat, director general of dispute settlement at the Manpower Ministry said that the government had continued to educate labors and business owners by holding trainings aimed at boosting workers’ skills. However, Sahat said that business owners’ role was also important. Sahat called on workers and companies to hold a dialog between them.

“Industrial relation in companies is necessary to support workers’ development,” Sahat added.

MAWARDAH NUR HANIFIYANI