The Legal Consultation and Assistance Centre (PKBH) of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Pro 2 Yogyakarta, broadcast the "Santai Siang" (Afternoon Easy) legal education program on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. This edition tackled the pressing topic "Yogyakarta Wages, Blind Contracts: Legal Literacy for Freelancers and Interns in the Special Region of Yogyakarta". The program was broadcast live from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. WIB on RRI Pro 2 Jogja at 102.5 FM.
The public education program was conceived in response to the sociological realities of Yogyakarta's gig economy landscape. Many students and young workers enter the workforce as freelancers, part-time employees, or interns without an adequate understanding of employment contracts - leaving them vulnerable to excessive working hours and below-standard wages.
Dr. Murti Pramuwardhani Dewi, S.H., M.Hum., a Labour Law lecturer at FH UGM, responded to this phenomenon by stressing the importance of young workers correctly identifying their own employment status so that their normative rights are protected.
"Many people still misunderstand what freelancer and part-time worker actually mean. A freelancer -- or independent worker -- is someone whose work is project-based, with a duration of no more than 21 days; anything longer should formally be classified as a fixed-term employment agreement (PKWT) or an indefinite-term employment agreement (PKWTT). A part-time worker's status, on the other hand, is determined by the length of their working hours per day or per week: if it exceeds 7 hours a day or 35 hours a week, they are in fact a full-time worker."
She added that a poor understanding of these definitions is frequently exploited by employers to avoid their obligations to provide wages and facilities that are rightfully owed. Arsyad Surya Pradana, S.H., a student in the Master of Litigation Law Program at FH UGM, also addressed the rights of interns: "Interns are also entitled to health and safety facilities, social security protection, and incentives whose components are determined by agreement -- which may include transport and meal allowances, among other things."
The broadcast was interactive, dissecting a range of real-world cases. The program is hoped to serve as a practical guide for young workers in negotiating their employment contracts on more equitable terms.
This legal outreach program - representing a concrete expression of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education through the Student Legal Outreach Grant (Hibah Penyuluhan Hukum Mahasiswa/HPHM) 2026 - is more than an ordinary educational activity. It is designed as a strategic step by FH UGM in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesia, particularly in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
Specifically, this legal literacy initiative contributes directly to two of the 17 SDGs: SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) -- by promoting safe working environments, workers' rights, and ensuring that young workers (including freelancers and interns) receive fair and equitable compensation; and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) -- by educating vulnerable groups (students and workers with limited legal knowledge) in order to erode the power imbalance between businesses and workers in the informal sector.
With greater legal literacy, it is hoped that Yogyakarta's working environment can be transformed into a more inclusive, transparent space that respects the fundamental rights of its young economic contributors.
Author: Arsyad Surya Pradana (Student, Master of Litigation Law Program)
