Government plans series of seminars on labor
Government plans series of seminars on labor
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Manpower will organize a series
of seminars beginning next month to make a thorough review of the
labor conditions in the country and to recommend plans of action.
Baroto Sardadi, the ministry's secretary general, told
reporters that the first seminar will kick off on May 3 and will
be officially opened by President Soeharto at the State Palace.
Through the seven seminars, which will be held between May and
July, the government is expected to draw up a strategy on
handling the nation's labor problems as well as human resources
development, a major objective in the Sixth Five-Year Plan which
began on April 1.
The seminars will discuss such topics as the basic strategy in
coping with unemployment, industrial relations, the national wage
system, labor laws, productivity, training programs and the
movement towards an industrial society.
He said many scholars, leaders of non-governmental
organizations and professional associations, business leaders and
leaders of the International Labor Organization have agreed to
participate in the seminars, including addressing the forums.
Finding jobs for the 12 million people who will be joining the
labor force in the next five years, as well as eliminating
already existing unemployment are two of the major challenges
facing the government in the new Five Year Plan.
In addition, the government has been beset with labor problems
and trade unions have been increasingly asserting their
influence. This trend was partly encouraged by the government
which has hiked the minimum wage regulations and then condoned
labor strikes by workers who are pressing for their rights.
Baroto said the series of seminars will not only identify the
problems, but more importantly, they are expected to provide
answers to the many labor problems.
"Many regulations and laws on labor, for example, are
considered to be out of date and need reviewing," he said.
He also said that labor problems would become more complicated
in the next five years with advances in technology.
"A new, basic strategy on human resource development has to be
formulated to make the national development beneficial to all
people, especially workers," he said. (rms)