Bomer vows to tackle unemployment

Bomer vows to tackle unemployment

JAKARTA (JP): Shrugging off criticisms over his appointment,
new Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu has pledged to set up
good industrial relations and step up labor exports in an effort
to help reduce unemployment in the country.

"Unemployment is a serious problem that needs an urgent
solution not only from the government but also from the business
sector and non-governmental organizations," he said during a
hand-over ceremony at the ministry.

Bomer officially took over on Tuesday at the ministry from
Fahmi Idris.

Also attending the ceremony were former manpower ministers
Harun Zain, Awaluddin Djamin, Theo Sambuaga, Abdul Latief and
Fahmi.

Statistics on the number of people fully unemployed in the
country vary. According to the Manpower Ministry, unemployment
affects about 25 million Indonesians. But the Federation of All
Indonesian Workers Union (FSPSI) puts the figure at about 40
million.

Bomer said hundreds of thousands of university graduates and
dropouts could not be absorbed by the labor market due to the
economic crisis that hit the country over the last two years. He
also said that due to the crisis, millions of workers had been
dismissed following the closure of hundreds of companies.

"Unemployment has serious implications for political
conditions at home if immediate concrete steps are not taken," he
warned.

He said that as well as extending labor-intensive projects
under the social safety net program, the government would help
develop small-scale companies to absorb the dismissed workers and
accelerate labor exports.

He said that in order to create harmonious industrial
relations, the government would adhere to International Labor
Organization (ILO) conventions on workers' rights in developing
labor programs.

Asked about criticism surrounding his appointment as manpower
minister, Bomer said his critics had a right to air their
opinion, but that he would still do his best for the country's
workers.

Bomer, who still chairs FSPSI, has been widely criticized for
his record in the field of workers' rights.

He previously served as secretary-general of the formerly
government-backed All Indonesian Workers' Union (SPSI) and as a
member of a board representing workers in the state-owned PT
Jamsostek, which runs social security programs for workers.

Criticism

Labor activists and the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) have
opposed Bomer's appointment to the ministry because of his
alleged involvement in the purchase of the FSPSI building in
Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. They also cite his involvement in
the deliberation of the controversial 1997 Labor Law and the
investment of PT Jamsostek funds in troubled financial
institutions and companies.

Several FSPSI deputy chairmen, who all requested anonymity,
expressed disapproval over Bomer's appointment to his new
position.

"We can't understand how President Abdurrahman Wahid dare
appoint Bomer, who it is widely alleged, was involved in the
embezzlement of foreign funds for Indonesian workers," one of the
FSPSI deputy chairmen said.

Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) chairman Muchtar
Pakpahan said Bomer's appointment sparked controversy because he
did not have the wide support of workers and was closely linked
to former president Soeharto's repressive regime.

"He has never worked for the workers. He along with other
politicians was dropped by the Golkar Party into SPSI merely to
seek labor support for the party in the past," Muchtar said.

"So, he did a lot in the past for his political interests but
not for workers," he said.

Muchtar claimed that Bomer was also responsible for pressing a
court to hand down a death sentence for his involvement in
violent labor rallies in North Sumatra in 1997.

Muchtar was found guilty of allegedly inciting the week-long
violent rallies and served two years in Tanjung Gusta prison in
Medan. Protesters at the rallies demanded the former New Order
government raise the monthly minimum wages by 70 percent and
allow workers the right to organize themselves freely.

ICW coordinator Teten Masduki accused Bomer of involvement in
the marked-up purchase of the FSPSI building, the deliberation of
the 1997 Labor Law and the reinvestment of Jamsostek funds in
troubled companies.

"Bomer was involved in the purchase of the FSPSI building, the
price of which was marked up to Rp 4.6 billion from Rp 1.6
billion. He also failed to control the allocation of Rp 7.1
billion from Jamsostek to finance the law's deliberation," he
said during a seminar on Jamsostek.

Teten said that as a member of Jamsostek's board of
commissioners from 1994 to 1999, Bomer was involved in the
deliberation of the controversial Labor Law.

Teten urged new Attorney General Marzuki Darusman to conduct a
thorough investigation into allegations of rampant corruption in
Jamsostek. He also urged Marzuki to prosecute a number of former
government officials, including ministers, as well as former
Jamsostek officials allegedly involved in the corruption cases.

"The Attorney General's Office should resume the investigation
which has been halted for unclear reasons," he said.

Denial

Jamsostek president Ackmal Husin denied Bomer's involvement in
any misuse of funds in the state-owned company, and said that the
company was ready to face any law suits in court.

"Of course, Bomer had a position as a member of Jamsostek's
executive board from 1994 through 1999, and is still the FSPSI
chairman, but it was not a decisive position in the company and
he was not involved in the alleged corruption," he said on
Tuesday.

He said that if ICW had convincing evidence about the alleged
corruption and Bomer's alleged involvement, then the organization
should file a law suit against Jamsostek and Bomer.

"We have no objections to sensational news as long as they
have legal evidence. If ICW holds valid evidence in its hands, it
should bring the case to court. We are ready to face it."

Ackmal said the company had collected about Rp 10 trillion
while running the social security programs for workers and that
the labor funds were secure.

He warned ICW against using the unfounded corruption
allegations to further its own political interests, saying such
issues could cause a total of 15 million workers to become
restless.

"It is not fair for ICW to use rumors about corruption in the
state-owned company for its political interests. They may dislike
Bomer but they should not use baseless rumors to sow hatred
against the new minister," he said. (rms)