'Govt does nothing to tackle unemployment'<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Labor activists, analysts and businesspeople lashed out at the
\ngovernment on Thursday for its inaction and lack of seriousness
\nin solving the country's unemployment problems that have
\nadversely affected more than 38 million people of working age.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a panel discussion on unemployment, they said the
\nnumber of unemployed people was continuing to rise as thousands
\nof workers were rendered jobless after having been laid off at
\nhome or deported from Malaysia.<\/p>\n
The speakers urged President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\ngovernment to make the issue a top priority and address it
\naccordingly.<\/p>\n
They agreed that not only was the Ministry of Manpower and
\nTransmigration responsible for the unemployment problem, but all
\nCabinet members.<\/p>\n
\"It's the obligation of the state to provide jobs for its
\npeople or at least to seek to prevent workers from losing
\nemployment,\" said Arief Soedjito, chairman of the Confederation
\nof the All Indonesian Trade Union (KSPSI).<\/p>\n
\"This idea is not an exaggeration because it is already
\nmandated by Article 27 of the 1945 Constitution,\" he told the
\ndiscussion entitled Unemployment: Is There Any Solution?.<\/p>\n
Pitoyo, executive director of the Indonesian Employees'
\nAssociation, also blasted the poor coordination among government
\nand private agencies in handling the jobless issue.<\/p>\n
\"The national coordination to overcome unemployment is not
\nvisible, either with government officials or between them and the
\nprivate sector,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Activist with the Association of Indonesian Workers (Aspek)
\nTimbul Siregar and senior journalist Rosihan Anwar, who is also a
\nlabor analyst, said the government had not yet offered any
\ninitiatives or vision to reduce the jobless numbers.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea
\nadmitted that Megawati's Cabinet lacked coordination in efforts
\nto cope with the unemployment.<\/p>\n
\"It should have been the focus of all ministries. To reduce
\nthe number of jobless and create job opportunities is an
\nobligation for all of us. The problem is national in nature,\" he
\ntold the same forum.<\/p>\n
Jacob said the number of the jobless had dropped to 38.3
\nmillion people from around 40 million before Megawati took power
\nlast year, but added that the reduction was not significant.<\/p>\n
Analysts have chided the government for a lack of seriousness
\nin dealing with crucial labor issues. Every ministry appeared to
\nhave worked on its own agenda without showing concerns about how
\nto resolve the growing unemployment.<\/p>\n
The recent deportation of hundreds of thousands of
\nundocumented Indonesian workers from Malaysia was the latest
\ncase, in which the government came under fire at home for failing
\nto prevent the \"inhuman\" expulsion.<\/p>\n
Many of the ill-fated workers are still waiting at holding
\ncamps in Nunukan which lies on border between East Kalimantan and
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
Jacob has repeatedly criticized the Malaysian government for
\nrefusing to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jakarta
\nto guarantee protection of Indonesians working there.<\/p>\n
\"Malaysia treated Indonesian workers well when the country
\nneeded them, but when it did not, it abandoned them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister, a member of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), however acknowledged that
\nsending more workers, including skilled ones, overseas was an
\nimportant move to help reduce unemployment in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He proposed the establishment of a national body to promote,
\nempower and protect Indonesian workers overseas, saying the move
\nis expected to prevent the Malaysia deportation case from
\nrecurring.<\/p>\n
Pitoyo voiced support for such a body, saying it should be led
\nby the president and involve government and private agencies,
\nuniversities and non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n
Another speaker and prominent businessman Sofyan Wanandi
\nsuggested that the government invest in large-scale
\ninfrastructure projects across the country as part of efforts to
\ncreate new jobs and improve roads, bridges and harbors.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot rely on businesspeople right now because they will
\nnot expand businesses amid the current security and law
\nenforcement uncertainty. Their stance is just to survive,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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