Union demands share of profits

JAKARTA (JP): A forestry workers union member yesterday demanded the government improve their welfare by giving them a small percentage of the country's profits from the lucrative timber business.

Sofiati Muladi of the Forestry Workers Union said the workers asked that a dollar be set aside for their welfare from the profits gained from every cubic meter of exported panel wood.

She pointed out that Wood Panel Association (Apkindo) gets ten dollars for every cubic meter of wood exported. This money goes to a fund to help the associations businessmen improve their businesses.

"How come ten dollars goes to businesses in the association, but nothing goes to the workers," she said in a union meeting here yesterday. "The one dollar that we ask for can be used for training and improving our human resources."

Indonesia, the world's largest plywood supplier, produces about 10 million cubic meters of plywood annually. Central Bureau of Statistics recorded the total exports for the January-August 1995 period at US$2.29 billion.

"The workers have given their best to the companies, but their welfare is poor," she said.

Datoek Bagindo of the Federation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (SPSI) focused his discussion yesterday on workers union leadership.

He blamed rampant labor disputes in the country on the fact that workers unions don't have good leaders. External parties have the power to influence chairmanship elections so that those elected did not really voice workers' aspirations, he said.

Haryadi Darmawan, an official of the Ministry of Manpower, acknowledged that exploitation of workers still occurred. (05)