Conference Agenda

Introduction: Ensuring decent work for vulnerable workers in remote, low-tier supply chain roles remains a significant regulatory challenge. Although labour laws and corporate policies set standards for protecting disabled workers, their implementation in isolated workplaces often depends on local-level enforcement. This study examines how decent work policies for disabled workers are translated into practice in Indonesia’s remote plantation sector, where enforcement mechanisms are weak, and supervisors become the primary regulators of workplace rights.

Research Questions and Methods: This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of 18 plantation workers with acquired disabilities across seven remote sites operated by a state-owned corporation in Indonesia. The company’s Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) forbids terminating workers due to disability, aligning with Indonesia’s Disability Act and the mandate from The Ministry of State-Owned Enterprise. However, policy effectiveness depends on supervisors, who function as gatekeepers of workplace accommodations and rights enforcement in remote plantations far from the Head Office. This study investigates the extent to which supervisors facilitate or hinder the implementation of decent work policies for disabled workers.

Findings and Discussion: Plantation sites in this study are located in severely isolated areas of Sumatra, where transportation, communication, and oversight are highly limited. The role of supervisors is amplified in these conditions, as they act as first responders during workplace injuries, determine workplace accommodations, and mediate worker reintegration when they return to work.

Supervisors’ roles in enforcing decent work policies vary widely:

• Supportive supervisors: Some supervisors facilitated job modifications, provided career guidance, and motivated workers to cope with their disabilities.

• Obstructive supervisors: Others merely assigned workers to the only available jobs without considering their reduced income and career stagnation. In some cases, supervisors failed to provide accommodations, leaving workers struggling to perform their tasks.

These findings highlight a critical regulatory gap: without structured training and accountability mechanisms, supervisors arbitrarily determine the application of decent work principles in remote worksites. For labour regulations to be effective, policies ensuring disability inclusion and workplace accommodations must be integrated into supervisor training and monitored for compliance in isolated workplaces where corporate oversight is weak.

Child labour is widely studied; however, children working within household enterprises or worksheds at employers' homes remain outside the purview of laws and regulations. These children escape census records and are unaccounted for, given the informal and family-based structure of such work. This research focuses on child labour in India’s handloom sector, particularly in West Bengal, to uncover legal, institutional, and socio-economic barriers to effective labour law enforcement. Despite existing legislations like the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, enforcement gaps and socio-cultural norms perpetuate the use of child labour in allied handloom activities such as spinning, dyeing, and weaving.

The study draws on empirical fieldwork from five districts in West Bengal, revealing that children are often compelled to work due to poverty, lack of quality education, and inadequate financial credit. Regression analysis highlights the significant negative impact of household income and parental education on child labour, while larger family sizes and limited access to social safety nets increase vulnerability. The Child Labour Amendment Bill, 2016, which allows children to work in family enterprises after school hours, has further legitimised this practice, creating enforcement loopholes.

The research identifies declining cooperative societies and ineffective community-based organisations as additional barriers, limiting workers' access to fair wages and social protections. Recommendations include revitalising cooperatives, enhancing education systems, and introducing conditional cash transfers to reduce reliance on child labour. Strengthening collective bargaining and enforcing minimum wage laws are essential to improving work conditions for informal workers in the handloom sector.

Finally, the study emphasises integrating climate justice and labour rights to protect workers in resource-dependent industries. By addressing socio-economic inequalities, enforcing robust legal frameworks, and fostering participatory policymaking, this research proposes a comprehensive roadmap to combat child labour and promote equitable labour standards. The findings offer critical insights for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to ensure decent work in the informal economy.