RI labor conditions improving, says Latief

RI labor conditions improving, says Latief

JAKARTA (JP): The positive results of Indonesia's years of
hard work to improve workers' conditions have won international
recognition, Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said yesterday.

Latief said over the past 12 years, Indonesia has been a
target of international criticism for its alleged violation of
workers' rights and lack of freedom of association.

"After 12 years of incessant attacks, things have reversed,
now others are praising Indonesia's efforts to improve the
conditions," he said.

Latief made the remarks after meeting with President Soeharto
to report on the results of the latest International Labor
Organization conference in Geneva, where Indonesia's labor
standards were not attacked for the first time in years.

"Even workers organizations and activists that used to be
critical of Indonesia recognized that the government respects
workers' rights and welfare much more," he added.

They were especially impressed by Indonesia'a achievement to
provide vocational training for women workers and its initiative
to extend its nine-year compulsory education program.

The All-Indonesian Workers Union has been invited to address a
labor conference in Brussels this year to explain Indonesia's
policy on labor affairs.

Latief said he recently also attended a workshop in Austria to
obtain input on how to resolve unemployment problems.

Industrialized countries such as Japan, Germany and Austria
solve their unemployment problems by helping develop small and
medium-sized companies, he said.

Indonesia is interested in adopting the concept because it is
suitable for the situation here, he added.(31)