Workers reminded over tougher competition in mining sector

Workers reminded over tougher competition in mining sector

JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Mines Kuntoro Mangkusubroto
reminded mining industry executives yesterday of the growing
competition in the employment market ahead of the implementation
of free trade in the region.

"By the year 2020, we will find professional workers moving
unhindered through Asia-Pacific countries, which will no longer
have trade restrictions," Kuntoro said at the opening ceremony of
a national conference on public and private partnership in
training and vocational education for the mining industry in
Indonesia.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum has agreed to
liberalize trade and investment by 2010 for its developing member
economies and by 2020 for its developed members.

Kuntoro said that current restrictions on foreigners'
employment in national firms will no longer be possible "unless
we are well prepared to face retaliation from other countries."

At the conference, which was sponsored by PT Redecon -- an
Indonesian mining consultantcy -- Box Hill Institute of Technical
and Further Education, of Australia, and the Directorate General
of Mines, he said that approximately 2.6 percent of national
income should come from the mining sub-sector.

"This will requires strategic policies to accomplish. Human
resource development aimed at fulfilling increasing the demand
for a skilled and professional workforce through effective
implementation of education and training programs is an important
component of such a policy," he said.

A deputy chairman of the Indonesian Mining Association, M.
Simatupang, noted that foreign companies still dominate the
Indonesian mining sector, which employs 30 percent of the
country's 57,000 foreign workers.

According to data from the Ministry of Manpower, the
employment of 57,000 foreign workers costs Indonesia US$2.4
billion a year, compared to the earnings of $600 million
repatriated by 290,000 Indonesians working overseas.

Ismid Hadad, the chairman of Redecon, said that the conference
was aimed at solving problems in vocational education and
training which are badly needed by mining firms' workers in the
country. (13)