Apjati against govt roles in export of labor

JAKARTA (JP): Executives of the Association of Labor Export Companies (Apjati) threatened on Sunday to resign in protest against the government's dominant role in the labor export business.

Apjati chairman Saleh Alwaini said in a media meeting here that the association's central board was no longer able to cooperate with the government and so the association would hold a special congress in which its executives would tender their resignations.

He said the special congress was expected to be held soon after the June 7 general election.

"Apjati's current executives are no longer able to face the Ministry of Manpower's arrogance and dominant role in labor export," Saleh said.

He accused officials of the Ministry of Manpower and Indonesian embassies of having interfered too much in Apjati's internal affairs.

The government should actually play its role as a regulator in the labor export sector, he said. A government-dominated labor export agency was established recently, thereby sharply reducing the role of private labor exporters.

Saleh, who is also president of labor exporter PT Binawan, complained that nearly all problems concerning Indonesian workers overseas were blamed on labor exporters.

"Twenty-one labor exporters have been punished over the last three months for problems faced by workers during employment overseas," he said, adding that two of them would no longer be allowed to operate for violating export administrative procedures.

The other 19 firms were given administrative sanctions and warnings for failing to provide adequate protection to troubled workers.

Din Samsuddin, director general of labor placement at the manpower ministry, warned recently that the government would take stern action against labor exporters found guilty of failing to provide adequate protection to Indonesian workers overseas.

Abdullah Umar, Apjati deputy chairman, said the recent establishment of a government-dominated labor export agency whose members are from the ministries of manpower, foreign affairs, justice, transportation and the National Police was not conducive to a better climate in labor export.

"The new agency has created a more complicated procedure in labor export, thereby raising costs," he said.

He also acknowledged that many exporters violated the rules of the game in running their businesses, but said that instead of being punished they should be taught to work more professionally.

He said it was difficult to provide legal protection to Indonesian workers since they were employed in countries where Indonesian laws were not recognized and most of the workers had no skills in protecting themselves.

Over the last three years, more than 200 labor exporters have sent more than three million workers to work abroad, earning the government approximately US$3.5 billion annually. (rms)