New program launched to improve labor conditions

New program launched to improve labor conditions

JAKARTA (JP): The government is launching a comprehensive
industrial relations program to improve labor conditions in the
country, says Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief.

"Despite some encouraging advances achieved last year, we
still have many things to do to improve labor conditions,
including the welfare of workers and the enforcement of labor
laws," he told The Jakarta Post before his departure to Geneva
over the weekend.

The minister and his entourage of high rank officials from the
Ministry of Manpower, left for Geneva to attend the governing
body meeting of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on
Nov. 16-18.

Latief said that the comprehensive program included enforcing
daily minimum wage regulations and the ministerial decree on
annual bonuses, helping solve industrial disputes between workers
and the management, and making a list of companies who violate
the law.

"I want to see the program get under way as of next month and
to evaluate its results on a monthly basis," he said.

He said he has set up an integrated team of three director
generals and several Echelon One officials to enforce the program
and to monitor its progress in the field.

"The team is responsible for making the program a success," he
added.

Latief said the program has nothing to do with the on-going
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting attended by the
many world leaders concerned with the human rights condition in
the country.

He said he will be "tested" on whether or not his recent
decision to hike the regional minimum wages and to make the
annual bonus for workers compulsory could be implemented
thoroughly and smoothly.

Latief, a successful businessman who was appointed by
President Soeharto as minister of manpower in March 1993,
recently issued a decree on the compulsory bonus and will, as of
next April, raise the daily minimum wage as high as minimum
physical necessities.

He said his ministry would train 60 inspector candidates every
year. "At present we have only around 800 inspectors and this is
far from enough to enforce the labor law and monitor nearly
145,000 companies across the country."

He acknowledged that weak enforcement of labor regulations in
the past had many things to do with alleged collusions between
the management and law enforcers. "Under the program, many kinds
of irregularities, including such collusions are expected to be
reduced."

Drowned

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Ministry of Manpower Fachri
Taharuddin told the Post yesterday that the Indonesian Embassy in
Kuala Lumpur, in cooperation with Malaysian authorities, was
still searching for Indonesian migrants drowned in Malaysian
waters last Friday.

A five-meter wooden boat was overloaded with scores of illegal
Indonesian workers when it was hit by strong waves and capsized
two nautical miles off Tanjung Balau in Malaysia's southernmost
state of Johore.

The craft was ferrying its passengers from Tanjung Pinang in
Indonesia's Riau islands.

At least 18 died and 43 were missing while 26 others survived,
including the boat captain and crew members, when the boat
capsized.

The twenty-six passengers managed to survive by swimming to
the shores.

"The rescue officials will continue their efforts until
Sunday," Fachri said, adding that those reported missing were
expected to be found in a few days.

Reuter, reported yesterday, however, hopes faded for the
missing Indonesian workers still missing, according to rescue
officials.

Fachri said the dead victims were buried in Kota Tinggi, 340
kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, while the 26 survivors were still
being detained by Malaysian Marine Police for questioning.

Fachri contacted Indonesian Labor Attache Abdul Karim in Kota
Tinggi and said that the survivors will be repatriated to their
home villages in East Java and West Nusa Tenggara.

He said the boat's owner and crew members will be taken to
court on charges of smuggling illegal migrants.

Hundreds of Indonesians every week enter Malaysia illegally
seeking jobs in that country. (rms)