RI, RP urge liberalization of labor market in ASEAN

RI, RP urge liberalization of labor market in ASEAN

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara

President Megawati Soekarnoputri called on the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to develop harmonious and
integrated policies in all fields to allow member countries to
recover from problems arising from terrorism threats and the SARS
epidemic.

"In view of our collective experience, especially those
related to vulnerability generally inherent in a more open
society, it's timely for us to consider a more integrated and
harmonious regional strategy and policy with respect to our own
particularities," Megawati said while opening the ASEAN Labor
Ministerial Meeting (ALMM) in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB)
on Thursday.

The President acknowledged that Indonesia was one of the ASEAN
countries hit hardest by the economic crisis that has severely
cut investment and reduced job opportunities.

"The unemployment rate has reached 8.1 percent... and this is
disheartening because the figure is higher than our economic
growth and our capacity to attract foreign investment," she said.

The latest data issued by the Manpower and Transmigration
Ministry showed that Indonesia's open unemployment had reached 40
million people.

Megawati said unemployment had caused not only economic
problems but also had an adverse impact on social, security and
political fields, "... and the political instability at the
national level could eventually cause tension throughout the
region."

She insisted that all individual countries in the region have
the authority to determine the quality of legal protection and
the level of social welfare they should provide for their
workers.

"The most plausible thing we can do at present is that we can
create equal opportunities to all countries to pursue the quality
of protection and of the social welfare they require, in order to
advocate on behalf of their own work force," said the President.

Meanwhile, Indonesia and the Philippines have called on ASEAN
members to show political commitment in liberalizing the labor
market in the region.

"Despite the low quality of Indonesia's human resources,
Indonesia must be ready to compete in the spirit of ASEAN,"
Manpower and Transmigration Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea said.

"But we have to first identify sectors and jobs in the labor
market that can be declared open to foreign workers," he said.

Nuwa Wea said Indonesia had opened up some jobs in the formal
sector to professionals from the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
and Malaysia.

"While preparing professionals in the formal sectors,
Indonesia has entered the construction and plantation sectors in
Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam," the minister said.

Nuwa Wea also criticized Singapore for not opening its labor
market in the formal sector for Indonesian professionals, saying
Indonesia had done so for Singaporean executives.

"I'm also confused by Singapore's labor policy which does not
give opportunities to Indonesian workers to work in the formal
sector there." he said.

Philippine Labor Minister Patria A. Sto. Thomas concurred with
Nuwa Wea, saying that ASEAN countries should liberalize the labor
market.

"Under ASEAN spirit, Filipinos working in any country in the
region will no longer call themselves as Filipino workers, but
ASEAN workers," she said.

She agreed that ASEAN should start listing certain jobs that
would be open to foreign workers, complete with the job
requirements.

Patricia said she needed between five and seven years to make
it totally open for workers from other ASEAN member countries
because despite its diverse overseas employment, the Philippines
was still facing problems with domestic employment.

She said all delegations to the ALMM were still discussing the
mutual recognition of labor competence and common standards in
certain jobs to be liberalized and were seeking a common program
on labor training, social security and labor protection.