Referees have become (one of) my concerns in building a decent Indonesian football (ecosystem).Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) is collaborating with the Workers Social Security Program (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) to provide social security to all referees who have served in Indonesia’s League 1 and League 2.
President Director of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan Anggoro Eko Cahyo and Chairperson of the PSSI Erick Thohir symbolically handed over the membership cards of the program to the representatives of referees at the headquarters of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry here on Thursday.
"Referees have become (one of) my concerns in building a decent Indonesian football (ecosystem). Hence, (improving) the welfare (of the referees) is crucial by making the referees participants of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan," he remarked in a statement.
He said he expects that BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, as part of social protection, can help the referees if they experience work accidents, or ease the burden on their family if they pass away on duty.
Meanwhile, the president director of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan said that all workers have the right to receive protection.
"It proves that the government strives to protect all citizens, especially workers. Moreover, the profession of a referee is very prone to (experiencing) work accidents both on and off the field. Thus, naturally, they need social security from BPJS Ketenagakerjaan,” he remarked.
The benefits provided by BPJS Ketenagakerjaan for referees are work accident insurance (JKK) and death compensation (JKM).
Hence, if a referee has an accident while supervising a match, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan will bear all the costs of treatment until they recover.
If during the recovery period, the referee is still unable to work, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan will pay 100 percent of their wages during the first year and then 50 percent the next year until they fully recover and are able to work.
PSSI and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan have also joined hands to ensure that all sports actors, including players, supporters, as well as officials from associations, leagues, and clubs can be protected by the worker's social security program in the future.
“Hopefully, our collaboration can improve the welfare of the referees and all other workers in the PSSI’s ecosystem, thus they can work hard without any worry (about security) and contribute to improving the quality of Indonesian football," Cahyo added.
Related news: KSP pushes informal workers' participation in social security
Related news: Active participation needed to bolster Workers Social Security Program
Translator: Rauf Adipati, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
