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)