Commitment to Labour Rights

Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) recognizes the labour rights of all employees, including the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

This recognition applies across the university and includes academic and non-academic staff, permanent and non-permanent employees, women employees, and international staff.

The university’s approach is supported by two formal institutional instruments:

• UNISSULA Circular No. 8394/J/SA/IX/2025, which recognizes the right of employees to form, join, and participate in lawful trade unions or employee organizations; and
• The 2025 YBW-SA Employment Regulations, which recognize collective labour agreements negotiated between trade unions or employee unions and YBW-SA.

Freedom of Association

Through Circular No. 8394/J/SA/IX/2025, UNISSULA explicitly recognizes the right of all employees to:

• Form trade unions or employee organizations;
• Join trade unions or employee organizations; and
• Participate in lawful union or employee-organization activities.

This provides a clear institutional basis for freedom of association within the university.

Coverage of All Employees

The recognition of freedom of association applies to all major categories of employees at UNISSULA.

The circular explicitly includes:

• Lecturers;
• Educational and administrative staff;
• Permanent employees;
• Non-permanent employees;
• Women employees; and
• International staff.

This means that the right to organize is not limited by employment status, gender, or nationality.

Recognition of Women Employees

Women employees are explicitly included within UNISSULA’s recognition of labour rights.

The 2025 circular specifically states that the right to form, join, and participate in lawful trade unions or employee organizations applies to women employees.

This ensures that women are included within the university’s institutional framework for employee representation and participation.

Recognition of International Staff

The same circular explicitly extends freedom of association to international staff working at UNISSULA.

International staff therefore fall within the same recognition framework as other employees and are included in the university’s commitment to lawful employee organization.

Protection from Discrimination and Retaliation

UNISSULA also provides protection for employees who participate in trade unions or employee organizations.

The circular states that union membership or participation must not become a basis for:

• Discrimination;
• Intimidation;
• Restriction of rights; or
• Other disadvantageous treatment in employment relations.

This strengthens the practical meaning of freedom of association by protecting employees from adverse treatment arising from lawful union involvement.

Recognition of Collective Bargaining

UNISSULA’s labour-rights framework also recognizes collective bargaining.

The 2025 YBW-SA Employment Regulations define a collective labour agreement as an agreement resulting from negotiations between:

• One or more registered trade unions or employee unions; and
• YBW-SA or relevant employer organizations.

The agreement contains employment conditions as well as the rights and obligations of the parties.

This formal recognition of negotiated collective labour agreements demonstrates that employee unions are recognized as legitimate parties in employment negotiations.

Collective Negotiation on Employment Conditions

The collective bargaining framework allows trade unions or employee unions to negotiate matters related to:

• Terms and conditions of employment;
• Employee rights;
• Employer obligations; and
• Other matters arising from the employment relationship.

This establishes a formal basis for employees to participate collectively in negotiations concerning employment conditions.

Relationship Between Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

UNISSULA’s labour-rights framework combines two complementary elements:

Freedom of association
→ employees have the right to establish, join, and participate in lawful trade unions or employee organizations.

Collective bargaining
→ trade unions or employee unions are recognized as parties that can negotiate collective labour agreements with YBW-SA.

Together, these provisions support both employee organization and collective representation.

Institution-Wide Recognition

The 2025 circular is addressed to leadership across:

• Faculties;
• RSIGM;
• Bureaus;
• Institutions;
• UPTs;
• Units; and
• Administrative offices within UNISSULA.

This establishes university-wide responsibility for respecting the labour rights recognized in the policy.

Labour Rights Framework at UNISSULA

UNISSULA’s approach can be summarized as follows:

Supporting Fair Employment Relations

By recognizing freedom of association and collective bargaining, UNISSULA supports constructive employment relations based on employee participation and representation.

This framework contributes to:

• Employee voice;
• Collective representation;
• Dialogue between employees and the employer;
• Protection of employment rights;
• Non-discrimination in union participation; and
• Formal mechanisms for negotiating employment conditions.

Institutional Basis

UNISSULA’s recognition of labour rights is supported by two complementary evidence sources.

Circular No. 8394/J/SA/IX/2025 provides direct recognition of the right of all employees to organize and participate in lawful trade unions or employee organizations, explicitly including women employees and international staff.

The 2025 YBW-SA Employment Regulations provide the institutional basis for collective bargaining through their recognition of collective labour agreements negotiated between trade unions or employee unions and YBW-SA.