N. Sumatra plantations produce generations of poor workers
N. Sumatra plantations produce generations of poor workers
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra
North Sumatra has long been known for its large oil palm, cocoa
and rubber plantations, but they have contributed little to the
local people's welfare over the centuries.
Bedjo Kirnadi, a 47-year-old worker of state-owned PT
Perkebunan Nusantara IV (PTPN IV), raised his eyebrows when asked
what changes he had seen during his 24 years at the palm oil
plantation.
In a sad tone, he shared his long story, that his family had
achieved nothing over the generations and that he could not
afford to send his three children to school despite the fact that
his wife has worked for 15 years in the same company to help
support their family.
Recalling his initial monthly salary of Rp 350 (3 cents) in
1980, he said conditions were better then.
"Formerly, all workers received the nine basic commodities,
including rice, sugar, palm oil, kerosene and cloth besides their
monthly salaries. But now, I am paid Rp 350,000 per month and my
wife Rp 325,000 and that's all," he told The Jakarta Post at his
small hut in the Andarasi housing area recently.
Jaiman, 54, who has been employed for almost 35 years at the
state-owned oil palm plantation PTPN II in Tanjongmorawa, 12
kilometers south of Medan, said that since January 2002 he had
been paid Rp 350,000 monthly and it was far from enough to
support his family of eight.
"I have two children at a public junior high school while four
others are employed as contract workers with the company. My wife
sells basic commodities at the local market to help my family
survive the economic hardships of daily life," he said in his
house provided by the company at the plantation on Monday.
Jaiman expressed deep concern over the poor labor conditions
at the plantation, saying none of the low-income workers were
able to improve their welfare under the current conditions.
"Thousands of workers will remain poor, both economically and
intellectually because under the current remuneration system,
they are unable to lead a better life or to send their children
to university in an attempt to make changes in their life," he
said.
The chairman of the labor union at the plantation (SPBUN),
Serta Ginting, said the labor union in the province had filed a
lawsuit against those companies that were still refusing to pay
some of their workers the regional minimum wage set by the
government and had not registered them in social security
programs.
He said that of the more than 100,000 workers employed in four
state-owned palm oil plantations in the province, 40,000, or some
40 percent, were not registered to receive the company benefits
package.
"According to Law No. 3/1992, social security programs are
mandatory and the workers have a right to protection, both from
the government and their management," he said.
He added that many companies in the province did not register
all their workers in an attempt to avoid paying more premiums to
PT Jamsostek, the state-owned company in charge of all company
social security/benefits programs.
Pengarapen Sinulingga, chief of the state-owned PT Jamsostek
branch in Pematang Siantar, also expressed deep concern over the
poor labor conditions in state-owned plantations in the province,
saying his company had urged the local administration and the
manpower and transmigration ministry to look into the violations.
"We have contacted the local manpower office to closely
monitor the enforcement of the new labor law and the social
security law in the plantations," he said, adding that a larger
part of the plantations' workers were not registered with
Jamsostek.
The director of PTPN IV's general affairs and human resources,
A. Lubis, defended the existing remuneration system which he said
was better that the minimum wage set by the government.
He said the management could not improve the workers' social
welfare due to the rampant theft of palm oil kernels over the
last five years that had caused tens of billions of rupiah in
annual financial losses.
Director of Labor Inspection at the Ministry of Manpower and
Transmigration Maruddin Simanihuruk said his ministry had urged
the government to review the poor labor conditions that had
sparked strong criticism from the House of Representatives and
labor unions.
"The government has to rectify the poor labor conditions and
improve the remuneration system in a bid to set a good example
for private companies," he said.