INDONESIA, ILO. to Continue Tackling the Worst Forms of Child Labour ...

Transcription

1 Billingual Edition - September 2008 INDONESIA, ILO to Continue Tackling the Worst Forms of Child Labour from left to right: I Gde Made Arka, Director General on Labour Inspection Development of the Manpower Ministry, Stanley Harsha, Labour Attaché from the U.S Embassy, Hamid Muhammad, Director General of Non-Formal and Informal Education of the Ministry of ational Education, Erman Suparno, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, Arum Ratnawati, Chief Technical Adviser of ILO*s Child Labour Programme, Alan Boulton, Director of ILO in Indonesia, Meutia Hatta, State Minister of Women*s Empowerment, and an ex child labourer Street children are not frightening creatures They are the same as other people They only work to survive, living on the street If they get lucky, their dreams will come true Around 13 child musicians from Rumah Kita Foundation enthusiastically played musical instruments and sang, telling stories about the hard lives of street children. The chorus echoed throughout the theatre of Pusat Perfilman Usmar Ismail, cheered by over 400 participants (men and women, young and old), at the official launch of the ILO-IPEC Project of Support to the National Action Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Phase II on Wednesday, 9 July. Supported by the United States Department of Labor, the ILO-IPEC project has a two-part strategy, closely linked to the priorities of the National Action Plan. The first part of the strategy focuses on continuing to promote national and local policies to tackle child labour. The second part of the strategy involves direct, targeted interventions in four sectors. They include child domestic labour in DKI Jakarta, West Java, East Java and Lampung; work by children at plantations in East Java, Lampung and North Sumatra; trafficking of children for sexual exploitation in DKI Jakarta, West Java, East Java, and North Sumatra; and street children at risk of trafficking and drug trafficking in DKI Jakarta. In officially launching the project, Erman Suparno, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, said that the second-phase of the Project would support steps that are being taken by the Government to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in Indonesia. We continue to provide better protection and awareness about Indonesian child labourers, he said. Meutia Hatta, the State Minister of Women s Empowerment, said that millions of Indonesian children are forced to drop out of school to enter the workforce before they complete basic education. These children are trapped because they provide for their poor families. ILO/ILO Jakarta...

2 HEADLINES INDONESIA, ILO... Government data reveals that currently about 11.7 million children have dropped out of elementary or secondary school. The State Ministry has developed various policies to protect children from entering the worst forms of child labour. We have developed protection policies for child domestic workers, economic empowerment for street children and their families, and have implemented of the first stage of National Action Plan to Eliminate the Trafficking Women and Children, Meutia said. In addition to the opening speeches, participants enjoyed other lively programmes, including a choir, theatre performance and songs by a former child labourer, Toronata Tambun. The launch was concluded with the unveiling of two educational posters by the Manpower Minister. The posters highlighted the importance of education as an investment in the future. They were developed by the ILO ILO/ILO Jakarta The hand-stamping on a stoned-relief, containing the slogan Stop Working, Go back to School in collaboration with Ogilvy, a worldwide creative agency. The unveiling was followed by the hand-stamping on a stoned-relief, containing the slogan Stop Working, Go back to School, by officials from the Indonesian government, the US embassy, the ILO, and two children. The hand-stamping was also witnessed by the representatives of employers and workers. from US This edition of the ILO Jakarta Newsletter is a good reflection of the depth and width of the ILO s work in Indonesia. The Decent Work Country Programme, the framework of ILO activities, covers the different dimensions of the ILO s work from labour standards to employment creation, from social protection to social dialogue. The broad range of this work can be seen in recent developments and activities: the ratification by Indonesia of ILO Convention 185 on Seafarers Identity Documents; the training of trainers on how to start and improve business (SYIB) in Bandung and Makassar; joint efforts between workers and employers to tackle youth employment; a forum to address social security reform issues in Indonesia with Jamsostek and the social partners; and a study visit by a bipartite delegation of workers and employers to learn from what is happening with labour relations in Malaysia. The ILO s programme in Indonesia has been expanded recently with several new projects including the launch of 2 G.Lingga/ILO Jakarta Alan Boulton, Director of the ILO in Indonesia, during one of the interactive radio talkshows, Smart Workers, with SmartFM, a national radio station. the second phase of the Indonesian Time-Bound Program on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which is funded by the US Department of Labor. Another key activity just approved is the second phase of the ILO Roads Project, supported by the Multi Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias. Another project that has started recently relates to Avian Influenza and the Workplace. This project seeks to combat the disease through increased awareness, enhanced information-sharing and closer adherence to occupational health and safety best practices and is part of the wider UN response to the epidemic in APEC member countries. We are always seeking to raise awareness amongst ILO constituents and the general community about issues and challenges in the World of Work. For the commemoration of the World Day against Child Labour on 12 June, we held a photo and poster exhibition titled My Work, My

3 The ILO-IPEC Project-Phase II What it is and Today, around 166 million children aged 5-14 years old in the world are involved in child labour with 74.4 million of these children in hazardous work. In Indonesia, it was estimated in 2004 that 1.4 million children aged were working. Many of them work long hours, often in dangerous conditions, and are either denied educational opportunities that would give them a better future or must try to balance work with education. The second-phase of the project is intended to support an improved policy framework, build awareness, strengthen institutional capacity and develop as well as implement models for tackling child labour at the community level. The Project is also intended to remove children from the worst forms of child labour and prevent many others from entering such work. Children will be assisted through the provision of educational and other services, including the linkage with the Government s Conditional Cash Transfer programme (Program Keluarga Harapan). Many families and communities will also benefit from socio-economic programmes supported by the project. what it does The intention is that these programmes will provide models which can be replicated elsewhere by the Government and others. The project will work closely with the ILO s partners from Government, workers and employers organizations as well as NGOs, explained Arum Ratnawati, the Chief Technical Adviser of the ILO s Child Labour Programme. The new project will build upon the previous work and achievements of the ILO in tackling child labour problems in Indonesia. Under the first phase of the Project, from 2004 to 2007, around 2,514 children were withdrawn from the worst forms of child labour and 27,078 children were prevented from entering such work. The achievements of Phase 1 World: A Portrait of Child Labourers in Indonesia in a large shopping mall in Jakarta. We continue with our weekly radio programme on SmartFM and have plans for a series of television talk shows on youth employment and entrepreneurship. In conjunction with the 10 th anniversary of the ratification by Indonesia of the Freedom of Association Convention, we have prepared a photo exhibition and will conduct a national public forum and other activities. Through all the activities and collaboration highlighted in the Newsletter, the ILO seeks to promote decent work opportunities for all. The project also played a significant role in the overall achievements of the National Action Plan Phase I jointly conducted by various stakeholders. Under the National Action Plan Phase I, a total of 13,922 children were withdrawn and an estimated 29,863 children were prevented from entering such work. In addition, the project promoted child labour concerns in national and local Government policies and frameworks; strengthened its partners capacities in tackling the worst forms of child labour; improved the knowledge base through, among others, research, seminars and awareness raising activities; and implemented more than 70 specific action programmes in five provinces to withdraw children from the worst forms of child labour and prevent vulnerable children from entering such work. The project also supported the establishment of several national action committees at provincial and district levels. To date, there are around 22 provincial action committees and 75 district action committees. The establishment of many of these committees was directly supported by the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration and the National Action Committee for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. 3

4 CHILD LABOUR Indonesia to World Day against Child Labour: Focus on Education The World Day against Child Labour on 12 June was marked with a focus on the role of education in combating child labour, and particularly the need to improve children s access to education. Taking the theme: Education: the right response to child labour, the ILO in collaboration with its partners organized activities to increase awareness of the need to improve access of children to education as the right response to child labour. This year, as in previous years, numerous field events and activities were conducted to highlight national efforts against child labour, particularly its worst forms. The ILO- IPEC went to campuses around Jakarta to talk about child labour and education from 10 June to 12 June. In close collaboration with students and lecturers, the ILO-IPEC conducted interactive discussions at three universities: London School of Public Relations (LSPR), Jakarta State University (UNJ) and Atma Jaya University. what s inside? From Us Child Labour Flash News Employment Rights at Work Social Protection Gender Social Dialogue Column Agenda Books In Brief Ahmad Marzuki, Executive Director of JARAK, together with the ILO-IPEC, talked to Atma Jaya students about child labour D. Sudono/ILO Jakarta In addition, a joint national workshop titled Education, the Right Response to Child Labour was held on 26 June, at the Ministry of National Education, Jakarta. Jointly conducted with the Ministry of National Education, the workshop aimed to develop better coordination among institutions working on child labour and those working in the education field and to provide a forum for discussion on how to mainstream issues on child labour into education programmes and policies. A two-day seminar on the preliminary findings of an Education for All Survey in South Sulawesi was organized from 30 June to 1 July. The seminar was jointly conducted by the ILO through its Education and Skills Training for Youth Employment Project (EAST) in collaboration with UNICEF and the South Sulawesi Provincial Government. South Sulawesi is the first province that has formulated the indicators on education for all based on three pillars, namely: access, quality improvement and management. To ensure the elimination of child labour, the ILO was calling on governments to provide education for all at least to the minimum age of employment, education programmes that reach out to child labourers and other socially excluded groups helping to bring these children back into education, and properly resourced and quality education and skills training, with trained and professional teachers. 4

5 My Wor ork, My World: A Portrait of Child Labourers in Indonesia In conjunction with the commemoration of the World Day against Child Labour on 12 June, the ILO presented a photo and poster exhibition titled My Work, My World: A Portrait of Child Labourers in Indonesia, from 23 June to 5 July 2008 at City Walk Sudirman, Jakarta. The exhibition was visited by around 250 people per day. Forty photos and eight posters were on display, illustrating stories about children who start working at too early an age, depriving them of a proper childhood and the opportunities offered by education. They captured the diverse and colourful realities of child labourers, from child domestic workers, children in plantations, victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and street children at risk of drug trafficking. In addition, other photos captured the theme of children and education, both formal and informal. Most of the photos were taken by an award-winning photo journalist, M. Asrian Mirza, while other photos were taken by students in the photography club of the London School of Public Relations. Two interactive discussions were organized,, Children Trafficked for Prostitution: Ethics Vs Controversy, and Behind Closed Doors: the Plight of Child Domestic Workers, during the exhibition on respectively 27 June and on 3 July. The discussions received good responses from the participants and the visitors of the City Walk Sudirman. Most were unaware of these issues and had lack of understanding. We combined the exhibition and the talkshows to raise interest in and awareness of the plight of child labourers in Indonesia. We also distributed comment cards to be filled in by the public to gather their thoughts on child labour problems in the country and how we combat them together. We got interesting feedback, said Arum Ratnawati, the Chief Technical Adviser of the ILO s Child Labour Project. What They Say The ILO-IPEC distributed comments cards from 23 June to 9 July to the public, in particular to the visitors of the photo exhibition. The card posed one question: What should be done to eliminate child labour in Indonesia? We received numerous comments from a wide variety of people from various professions, between the ages of 8 years old (the youngest) and 67 years old (the oldest). The majority of them suggested the urgent need for free, quality education for children to prevent them entering the workforce at an early age. In my opinion, provide free education so that children from poor households can go to school. (Mirsha, student, 10 years old) Stop the corruption! The money can be used to build free schools so that children do not have to work and they can go to school at least to apply the 9 year-compulsory of education. If necessary, it should be more than nine years. (Ghina, student, 14 years old) Generate more jobs for people in need, particularly poor communities. If the needs of employment and income are fulfilled, the parents will stop asking their children to work. (Anggi, reporter, 25 years old) The actions taken should be an integrated action. Stop the exploitation and trafficking of E. Novitasari/ILO Jakarta children by enforcing legal punishment and sanctions against those who employ or traffic children; provide life skills trainings and child labour based schools (free education) for children from poor communities and empower parents and build their capacities and skills with close results monitoring. (Lusie, system analyst, 33 years old). There exists various issues to be addressed, among others: More commitment at the social and political levels for ensuring children s right to access education; more public socialization; and more direct support to working children for continuing/going back to school. (Takako Koizumi, Ministry of Education JICA) 5

6 CHILD LABOUR Tackling Child Labour through Child Labour Monitoring System (CLMS) A new Child Labour Monitoring System has been put in place to more effectively tackle Child Labour. The monitoring system, or CLMS, is being piloted by the ILO Education and Skills Training for Youth Project (ILO-EAST) in coordination with the provincial authorities of Papua, East Nusa Tengara (NTT) and South Sulawesi (Sulsel). This system aims to (a) identify child labourers and identify risks to which they are exposed; (b) refer them to services for rehabilitation and/or provide them with risk reduction support as a temporary approach; (c) track them to verify that they have been removed and/or that the risk has been eliminated and that they access satisfactory alternatives. To ensure the implementation of CLMS, two sets of trainings were conducted for 15 provincial master trainers from the Provincial Planning Development Board (Bappeda), the Provincial Educational Department in the three provinces and staff of the ILO-EAST. The first CLMS Orientation Workshop was held from 8 9 April in Makassar and the second one was from May in Jakarta. As a follow-up to the training, the three provincial governments have issued Provincial Decisions for CLMS pilot testing at district levels, demonstrating their commitment to the process. The mapping of social services referral of targeted children is being finalized in six districts. Having a network of representatives from education, social affairs, labour inspection, trade unions and NGOs working together to combat child labour is a new multidisciplinary approach that we really need in our provinces. Therefore, Child Labour Monitoring System will be part of the Strategic Planning (Renstra) in Papua in order to achieve Education for All goals, stated Muhammad Yusuf, Team Leader Education Strategic Plan, Papua Province, who has a leading role in drafting the Renstra. Local Action Committees are being set up in the targeted districts to supervise and provide technical guidance to the identification process and make referral decisions. They are composed of heads of districts, labour inspectors, social welfare officers, education officers, trade unions, school committees and NGOs. They will draft local action plans and design a referral system to make the best use of available resources with labour inspectors, school inspectors/teachers, social workers, trade unions, and NGOs. They will then provide individualized services to the child labourers identified. Based on the mapping of services, the referral system will ILO to Flash News Prevent AVIAN FLU at Workplaces Indonesia has the highest fatality rate of avian flu in humans. As of 30 June 2008, 135 people had been infected and 110 had died of the disease. The risk of being infected by this virus is still high; 31 of 33 provinces are considered endemic areas for avian flu virus in poultry, and human cases are still occuring in some provinces. Public health experts believe an influenza pandemic is inevitable. The question is when and the time to prepare is now. This pandemic could become a threat to the world of work. If a newly mutated form of the H5N1 virus spread rapidly from human to human, most people would not be immune to it. People could get sick easily and even die. This would, in turn, cut-off the supply of labour and threaten the livelihood of many workers and their families. Therefore, workplace prevention plays an important role in fighting the spread of the pandemic and protecting the business continuity. 6

7 CHILD LABOUR institutions and programmes. This will ensure the sustainability of the actions taken. In NTT, CLMS will be linked to the Conditional Cash Transfer programme that has already begun, in the context of children s referral to different services/viable alternatives and support to family members. A child labourer in agricultural sector include non formal and formal education options, apprenticeships, skills trainings and counselling, said Snezhi Bedalli, Child Labour and Education Expert of the ILO-EAST Project. CLM Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) composed of five trained monitors will be set up to jointly monitor and refer working children, as well as track activities. Five days trainings will be conducted in the six districts by the trained Provincial Master Trainers together with an ILO- EAST expert to reinforce the capacity of these committees. The needs of a child labourer are numerous and the service package for his/her withdrawal from labour ought to be integrated. The CLMS does not provide additional support but is a governance tool to make the best use of available means and provide a structured approach to the elimination of child labour, embedded within existing A. Mirza/ILO Jakarta Based on the strong commitment to this cause of the provincial Governments and district authorities, we hope that the targeted areas may be declared free of child labour after some years, added Patrick. ILO-EAST is a four years project funded by the Government of Netherlands and executed by the ILO that aims (a) at improving the employability and capacity for entrepreneurship among young women and men through improved access to high-quality and relevant educational and training opportunities, and (b) at contributing to the elimination of child labour. The geographical coverage includes Papua, West Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, South Sulawesi, and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam provinces. The first integrated theme of the project is focused on supporting out-of-school children of junior high school age (13 to 15 years of age). A majority of these children are involved in economic activities, either helping their parents in the agricultural sector or being involved on the informal market in numerous small jobs where they are exposed to risks and hazards. Through its new project, Avian Influenza and the Workplace in Indonesia, the ILO is taking action through a workplace prevention programme. The programme raises awareness and implements best practices on occupational safety and health issues relating to worker s rights and protection. The project will run for a year ( ) in the provinces of West Java, Banten, Central Java, East Java and Bali. The project will closely work with the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, the Ministry of Health, the National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (Komnas FBPI), as well as workers and employers organizations. Together with its social partners, the Project will focus on the following activities: Collect, disseminate and support replication of good practices in Occupational Health and Safety at poultry plants and other workplace, especially those related to preventing possible respiratory virus transmission; Conduct a campaign and training activities to raise awareness on reducing the risk of infection and mitigating Strengthen constituents capacity to support project implementation by conducting Training of Trainers at national and provincial levels; and Provide technical support to the trainings conducted by local trainer. 7

8 EMPLOYMENT Indonesia Youth Employment Network: Commitment from its new members The Indonesian Youth Employment Network (IYEN) was established in 2003 to promote and coordinate national initiatives that address the challenge of youth unemployment. The IYEN has been dormant, but now government priorities have changed, and increased emphasis is being given to youth employment. This has resulted in a revitalization of IYEN, involving a review of the Action Plan. A team of four consultants evaluated this action plan and made recommendations for future Action Plans. One of the major recommendations was the urgent need to improve coordination among the line ministries and mainstream the youth challenges into their upcoming strategic action plan and medium-term development plan. The evaluation also highlighted the need for more appropriate indicators to monitor implementation, particularly in relation to tracking progress towards specified targets and impact of activities. The evaluation also recommended that the activities of IYEN should be more focused on the following: i) advocacy and increasing the awareness of all stakeholders regarding youth employment issues; ii) research initiatives on issues and factors related to youth employment; and iii) knowledge sharing and networking to disseminate information to IYEN members and stakeholders, ensuring that young women and men have equal access to information on various programmes and employment opportunities. We have to ensure that any strategies or targets for youth employment are clear and achievable. It is also essential that they will be incorporated into the government s Medium Term Development Plans to ensure a synergy of activities in moving forward with the creation of quality jobs, said Komara Djaja, the Secretary to Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs when presenting the key recommendations on 3 July to the third Lead Country Meeting organized by YEN Secretariat. This meeting was financially supported by the Government of United Kingdom. Projections produced by the UN suggest that by 2010 the number of young people ages 15 and 24 will increase by around 40 million, and those between the ages of 15 to 29 by 60 million over the same period. These figures will be stable up to 2030 and gradually decline by However, if half of the predicted youth population do not continue to secondary school, as is presently the case, they will enter the labour force with low education, unskilled and unprepared for work. The number of young people between the ages of will be larger than those who are and years. Understandably, this will have a serious impact on poverty level since young adults at this age (25-29) often have families and need employment to support themselves and their families. Therefore, to fully utilize the window of opportunity in , Indonesia needs to immediately initiate policies and programs to prepare high quality human capital to meet the rapid changing demand of labour. 8

9 EMPLOYMENT Unlocking the Potential of Youth through Entrepr epreneurship eneurship Training As a lecturer, I used to apply conservative teaching methodology, and I can understand why students were sleepy in the classroom. The participatory model with adult learning principles of Start and Improve Your Business Training (SIYB) of Trainers workshop kept us very much awake and interested at all times, said DR. Ir. Palmarudi, MSU, one of the participants from Makassar, South Sulawesi. B. Maryono/ILO Jakarta The training was conducted by the ILO Education and Skills Training for Youth Project (ILO-EAST). The ILO-EAST is a four years project funded by the Government of Netherlands. One of the components of the Project is entrepreneurship training for out of school youth in six targeted provinces: Papua, Papua barat, Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. Participants of the SIYB training in Bandung learned more about entrepreneurship To date, three SIYB trainings were conducted (one in Bandung from May and two in Makassar from 2 13 June), with 55 provincial trainers participating (36 men and 19 women). Most of them provided positive feedback about the organization of the training. Not only were the contents (entrepreneurship) highly relevant to the Indonesian youth they work with, but the method is also highly participative and appealing to the youth. The trainers will provide a one-week entrepreneurship training in their respective regions for 9,000 out of school youth, starting in August. The participants will primarily come from the Community Learning Centers (PKBM), where they receive additional services such as skills training and counselling. To promote the training, and attract youth who are interested in entrepreneurship the programme will be widely announced on local radio stations and newspapers. It is expected that at the end of the training, the youth will come up with a solid business plan. The trainers will also involve local banks and microfinance institutions to facilitate graduates access to start-up capital funds. Additional coaching will also be provided to the youth to accompany their first steps into the business world, explained Budi Maryono, Entrepreneurship Expert of the ILO- EAST Project, adding that close monitoring by the trainers will measure results, so that the SIYB model could be mainstreamed in the package of services provided by the PKBM with government funds. Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Alan Boulton Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Peter van Rooij Executive Editor: Gita Lingga, Rebecca McClelland Editorial Coordinator: Gita Lingga Circulation: Budi Setiawati Contributors: Abdul Hakim, Albert Y. Bonasahat, Arum Ratnawati, Budi Maryono, Gita Lingga, John Lindsay, Lusiani Julia, M. Bey Sonata, Rolly Damayanti, Snezhi Bedalli, Tauvik Muhamad and Vanda Day. Design & Production: Balegraph ILO Jakarta Newsletter Menara Thamrin Building, Level 22 Jl. M. H. Thamrin Kav 3, Jakarta 10250, Indonesia Ph. (62-21) , Fax (62-21) jakarta@ilo.org, Website: The ILO Jakarta Newsletter is a bilingual newsletter aimed at dealing with the very substance of the ILO Jakarta s work in Indonesia. The newsletter is published three times a year and is also available online. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the ILO. 9

10 RIGHTS AT WORK Building the Capacity of Foreign Service Officials to Better Protect Indonesian Migrant Workers Deplu RI immigration who are posted overseas. This policy priority corresponds with the ILO s Decent Work Country Program for Indonesia. The training was targeted at officials in the Foreign Ministry who are mandated to assist migrant workers and are currently posted in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Japan and India As noted in the media, the Indonesian Government has paid serious attention to the need to protect and assist Indonesian migrant workers. In 2006, the Government of Indonesia announced a series of policy initiatives and administrative measures to strengthen the protection of Indonesian migrant workers. One of these policy initiatives was Presidential Instruction No. 6/2006, which aims to improve the protection of Indonesian migrant workers throughout the migration process, both in Indonesia and abroad. Under this Instruction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays an important role in protecting citizens of Indonesia who live and work overseas. To ensure that the protection of Indonesian workers abroad is the highest priority, the Foreign Ministry has had an ongoing cooperation with the ILO since 2006 to build the capacity of foreign service officials and attaches from other ministries, such as the Manpower Ministry, Ministry of Justice, police and 10 Participants of the Regional Asia-Pacific Training visited the Citizen Service Centre, guided by the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore, Wardana (second from left) As part of the collaboration, the ILO Migrant Workers Project supported a Regional Asia-Pacific Training for Foreign Service Officials on the Protection of Migrant Workers Overseas from 7 9 July in Singapore. This Project is funded by the Government of Norway. The training was targeted at officials in the Foreign Ministry who are mandated to assist migrant workers and are currently posted in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Japan and India. Most of these selected countries are major destination countries for Indonesian migrant workers, while Australia and India are now developing as potential destination countries. Each of the destination countries has its own specific problems, though many common problems and challenges are faced by the Indonesian migrant workers across the region. During the discussion it was admitted that many challenges need to be solved in terms of protection and provision of services. At the same time, the capacity of Indonesian migrant workers should be improved to be able to compete with their foreign counterparts, such as those from the Philippines. The training also equipped the participants with knowledge about basic migration concepts, international labour and human rights standards on labour migration, the role of foreign service officers in providing services and assistance to migrant workers, as well in identifying and expanding decent work opportunities for Indonesian migrant workers. All participants also visited the Citizen Service Center operated by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore. The visit was guided by the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore, Wardana. He showed the participants the facilities and services provided by the Center.

11 For Better or Worse, I Shall Return Abroad! Albert Y. Bonasahat is one of the ILO s Migrant Workers Project staff. When joining the Regional Asia-Pacific Training for Foreign Service Officials on the Protection of Migrant Workers Overseas in Singapore, he met with a former migrant worker who is still waiting for her court settlement. I was stunned when I learnt of her traumatic experiences. Yet, for her, giving up is not an option. She is even ready to work again, despite everything bad that happened to her. I would like to share her story, as an inspiration to end the abuse against migrant workers. (* name has been changed as requested) Just call her Ani*. She is young and pretty. Her longheld dream finally blossomed about three years ago, when from the hilly city of Malang in East Java Province, she departed for Batam to attend her last pre-departure briefing session. From there, just a few kilometers across the sea, To date, the Foreign Ministry developed other centers in Brunei Darussalam, South Korea, Qatar, Syria and Jordan to provide better facilities and protection to Indonesian migrant workers. However, as the pilot centre, I believe that this centre can be a good showcase and model that should be replicated in other designated countries, said the Ambassador Wardana, adding that the Ministry plans to build additional eight centers next year. The Center provides a temporary shelter for Indonesian migrant (domestic) workers who face problems in Singapore and choose to leave their employers. It provides vocational skills training programmes, included English and Mandarin languages training and computer literacy. Furthermore, the Center provides legal assistance for Indonesian migrant domestic workers who encounter legal problems in Singapore. One of the participants from the Indonesian Embassy in Japan said that the training provided him with an opportunity to learn more about labour migration and international best practices in protecting and promoting Indonesian migrant workers. Our challenge now is to implement what we have learned. But since it is now the priority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to better protect migrant workers, I am sure that we can be real friends to Indonesian migrant workers. she can see the sparkling lights of Singapore loudly calling her to come and reach for a better life. I had some friends who went to Singapore for work. They seemed happy and had managed to change their lives for the better. I thought that I had to try to earn good money and get work experiences, too. It was that simple. she said, explaining her motivation to go abroad. She left her clerical job in Malang to be a domestic worker in Singapore, which the agent told her would pay more. The first couple of months, Ani s new life in Singapore went well. She worked diligently and mastered her new job. Things changed when her female employer began to treat her badly. At first, she would be rude and rough when Ani made mistakes. Soon afterward, she started beating her, sometimes for no reason. Ani endured the physical and mental abuse on an almost daily basis for one and a half years. She could only hope that her employer s behavior would change. I suffered, of course, she said, but somehow I always believed that she would change. I never reported her behaviour to the police. I just accepted it since I have been raised to be patient when dealing with troubles. I kept praying that she would be nice again and my life would change soon, she explained. Luckily, one of the neighbours was suspicious and noticed her deteriorating physical condition. She rescued Ani, bringing her to the police. The authorities investigated her case and took her to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore. Now I have been here for 14 months. I am waiting for the court s verdict against my employer. It takes time to get a court settlement here, and I will need to stay longer. I am okay though because living here is much better. Everybody treats me nicely and I get job training in the Embassy, she said, smiling. With her eyes beaming, Ani continued, Like others who are waiting for a settlement, I receive 10 Singapore Dollars per day for a maximum of 15 work days a month. They train us to do administrative work while paying us an allowance for our assistance. The most important part is that I feel safe. While awaiting the settlement of her case, Ani continues to improve herself, as she plans to go back working overseas. While waiting, I never stop preparing myself to get a better job. What happened to me was just a bad luck, and I believe that it will not last forever. Life constantly changes, she said firmly, refusing to give up hope. Besides, I have to prove to others that I can succeed at working overseas in spite of what has happened to me. Sometimes we are at the bottom in life, yet the time will come when we reach the very top. My life will change, too. I am sure of that, she wisely added. 11

12 RIGHTS AT WORK Policy Development In the face of increasing levels of migrant workers going overseas, with more complaints of exploitation and abuse throughout the migration process, in 2006 the Government of Indonesia announced a series of policy initiatives and administrative measures to strengthen the protection of Indonesian migrant workers. One of these policy initiatives was Presidential Instruction No. 6/2006, which outlined a plan of action with concrete measures and deadlines for Indonesian line ministries for effectively improving the protection of Indonesian migrant workers throughout the migration process in Indonesia and abroad. In 2007, it became clear that more comprehensive policy measures would be needed by the Indonesian Government to address the magnitude of the problems facing Indonesian migrant workers. However, this is a challenging area for policy development and implementation, as labour migration is multi-sectoral and falls under the authority of more than 13 national government ministries and agencies, let alone a large number of private providers in the recruitment, training, insurance, health and financial services. To facilitate coordination and cooperation among the stakeholders, the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs (Menko Ekuin) constituted permanent working groups on labour migration, consisting of for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers representatives of government ministries, private providers and civil society organizations. These working group members meet on a regular basis under the leadership of Menko Ekuin. Menko Ekuin requested technical assistance from the ILO to ensure that the policy and administrative planning of these working groups reflected the best international practices on labour migration management and was informed by international standards on the protection of migrant workers. The ILO responded to this request through its Migrant Workers Project, funded by the Government of Norway, which has had ongoing cooperation with Menko Ekuin since 2006, explained Lotte Kejser, the Chief Technical Adviser of the ILO s Migrant Workers Project. In the most recent of these activities, Menko Ekuin, in cooperation with the ILO, gathered senior working group representatives from 8-10 May for a concentrated high-level planning session to produce a more comprehensive policy outline to replace Presidential Instruction No. 6/2006. The participants were senior working group representatives from Indonesian government ministries/agencies, private providers and civil society representatives. Facilitated by international labour migration experts, the participants reviewed existing and planned Indonesian Promoting Entrepreneurship Education for Vocational Secondary Students Since 2006, the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) has agreed to apply and adopt the syllabus of ILO s Know About Business (KAB) for Entrepreneurship Education in Vocational Training Schools throughout Indonesia. A year later, in 2007, all six Vocational/ Technical Education Development Centers (V/TEDC) have also applied and adopted KAB in their yearly training programme. ILLO/ILO Jakarta Furthermore, each centre has actively been promoting the KAB training programme to national and provincial government institutions as well as working with the private sector to finance training for teachers. As a result, 12

13 RIGHTS AT WORK structures as much as possible. This Roadmap and Plan of Action have already been taken to their respective ministerial and private sector institutions for validation and further refinement. A. Mirza/ILO Jakarta migration programmes, comparing them to best practices from countries with similar contexts and rating them in view of international standards on the protection of migrant workers, said Lotte. In addition, the participants developed a Roadmap and a detailed Plan of Action for the Placement, Protection and Finance sectors of the Indonesian migration management system, building on existing programmes and Komara Djaja, Ministry Secretary for the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs, said Menko Ekuin is very happy to have technical assistance from the ILO assisting us in facilitating this cross-ministry planning process. While the various line ministries are taking the lead in protecting migrant workers, the technical assistance by the ILO helps strengthen the Indonesian Government s labour migration policy planning and in this way better protect migrant workers in Indonesia and abroad. In August 2008, under the leadership of Menko Ekuin and facilitated by the ILO Migrant Workers Project, the working group participants plan to finalize the Roadmap and the Plan of Action on the basis of the feed-back and work done in these institutions. Because of systematic problems in Indonesian labour migration, policy and structural development are fundamental requirements for more effective protection and placement of Indonesian migrant workers. the government has provided funds for around 500 teachers to participate in the training programme. Because of high demand, the government plans to increase the number of key facilitators by 60 people this year. Suwadi, one of the KAB Facilitator from V/TEDC Malang, said that at the beginning it was difficult for him to promote the training programme for entrepreneurship teachers. Many of us still focus on technical skills and academic achievements. When they realize that entrepreneurship is an important aspect of building the future life of students, the demand for this training highly increased this year. Thanks to ILO for helping us promote the programme more widely, he added. The V/TEDC has also supported the Directorate of Vocational Secondary Education Development in developing Students Business Club for students who are interested in engaging in business activity. To promote self employment as a career option for students from Vocational Secondary Schools, the Education Ministry has introduced the Business Plan Competition as part of the Annual National Skills Competition, starting in Although only 30 students signed up for the last year s competition, the Ministry is expecting more participation in the 2008 competition. Entrepreneurship education is not merely teaching someone to run a business. It is also about encouraging creative thinking and a critical manner, while promoting a strong sense of self-worth and accountability. This programme is about citizenship education, said Edison Ginting, other KAB Facilitator from V/TEDC Bandung. 13

14 SOCIAL PROTECTION Examining Social Security in Indonesia: Should JAMSOSTEK be Reformed? Only a small portion of Indonesia s population of nearly 230 million is covered by formal social security arrangements. In 2007, 23.1 million workers in 143,ooo companies were registered with PT. Jamsostek, the national social insurance fund for private sector employers and their employees. However, only 7.9 million workers in 91,000 companies are active members. On top of this, arrangements for Jamsostek with the goal of increasing membership and providing better benefits. The seminar also discussed strategies for extending the coverage of social security to workers in the informal economy. The seminar was divided into three sessions. The first session discussed efforts to improve institutional arrangements for Jamsostek in Indonesia, with ILO/ILO Jakarta contributory social insurance still does not extend to many workers, including those in the informal workforce. It is essential that Indonesia makes more progress in improving and extending the coverage of social security. A national strategy developed through dialogue between the government and interested groups, including employers and workers organizations, could identify steps to be taken, having regard to national circumstances, to provide greater protection for Indonesia s people, said Alan Boulton, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia, in his opening remarks in the national seminar on social security titled Realizing Social Security for All: Should Jamsostek be Reformed?. The seminar was jointly conducted by the ILO and PT. Jamsostek on 16 July in Jakarta. It provided an opportunity to exchange views and experiences in formulating better regulatory frameworks and improving institutional A national seminar on social security jointly conducted by the ILO and PT. Jamsostek presentations by representatives from the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration (S. Lumban Gaol, Director of Wages and Social Security), Apindo (Sofjan Wanandi, President) and unions (Rekson Silaban, President KSBSI). Sofjan highlighted the issue of funds and profit management within Jamsostek. Employers and labor unions, he said, haven t felt the benefits of Jamsostek programs. Jamsostek should work harder to convince and build the trust of the employers. The management of Jamsostek, thus, should actively raise the awareness of both workers and employers about the benefits offered through programmes that are easy to understand and directly touch the needs of workers. Meanwhile, Rekson emphasized the need of Jamsostek to be reformed and managed by a tripartite body representing the government, employers and employees 14

15 (including those self-employed), as stipulated in the 2004 law, and that profits should not go to the government s pocket in the form of dividends. This is our money, but the shareholders are other people (the government). That s funny, said Rekson. Until this year, Jamsostek s annual profits have become dividends for the government. The seminar also examined the regulatory framework for the social insurance scheme, with presentations by Isa Rachmatarwata from the Ministry of Finance, Mariani Akib Baramuli from the Commission IX, Parliament, and Hasbullah Thabrany from the University of Indonesia. The seminar concluded with the identification of possible strategies to extend social security to excluded populations including informal economy workers. President Director of Jamsostek Hotbonar Sinaga said that the company aimed to insure 280,000 new members from the informal sector this year, a jump from the 84,729 it had in Thus, PT. Jamsostek has launched several breakthrough steps to achieve the target, including establishing partnership with government institutions and other state enterprises, and using part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program funds as a lure for prospective new members. The main problem with enrolling informal workers is the absence of umbrella organizations (to pay the premium). However, we are going to take some initiatives, including the establishment of partnership with, for example, PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), both of which could act as umbrella organizations for the informal sector workers, said Hotbonar. In 2007, the number of informal workers throughout the country reached 66 million, more than double that of formal workers at some 31 million. But formal sector workers have better access to Jamsostek, whose numbers stood at 23.7 million from over 159,000 corporate/ employers by 2007, or 76 percent of all members. Jamsostek also targeted gaining 2.5 million new formal sector members in The comments from the panelists raised a flood of questions from the audience. Discussion followed on the need for Jamsostek to improve its services and to extend its coverage to informal workers, the benefits offered to employers and workers, the need for Jamsostek to focus on the social welfare of its members, and the need for awareness raising activities. The seminar was attended by around 150 invitees from government, trade unions, employers organizations, international and national organizations and academia. GENDER Building Capacity, Strengthening Equality The ILO has taken great strides to mainstream gender within its operations and projects in Indonesia. In April, equality took another step forward. The training involved representatives from the tripartite constituents (government, employers and workers) to build their capacities and to ensure better implementation of the ILO mandate to promote opportunities for all women and men to obtain decent and productive work. Thirty participants attended from various Indonesian provinces and Timor Leste. Over the course of four days, participants learned the history, key principles and essential aspects of the Participatory Gender Audits (PGA). Working in groups, participants practiced interviewing staff, evaluating data and created action plans to follow-up and implement the training they received. All participants were well-aware of obstacles that they should face when performing a gender audit in their own organization. Unless those in decision-making positions understand the benefits to their organization, they are often hesitant to implement various projects, especially gender audits. They also learned to answer these concerns by emphasizing that productivity will increase when obstacles that limit women s opportunities are removed. Gender audits are not to judge an organization but to highlight areas that are going well in addition to those that need to be improved. Aghni, from KPSI, learned a lot from the training and is now preparing for a gender audit within SPMI, one of the member organizations within KPSI. She has already seen the value of greater women s participation in unions and management. Now, she says, its time to examine all aspects of SPMI to be able to promote gender equality even more. We want gender equality to be part of the culture and part of the policies of SPMI. Before, if women didn t ask, they weren t remembered. We want gender equality to be institutionalized so the women don t have to ask again and again. Training constituents in PGA will build capacity throughout the unions, employer organizations and government offices that collaborate with ILO Jakarta, ensuring better implementation of the ILO mandate to promote opportunities for all women and men to obtain decent and productive work. 15

16 SOCIAL PROTECTION SAFE WORK for Young Workers Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) issues for workers, especially for young workers of ages in woodworking and furniture making sector in Jepara, Central Java, are still a challenge for all stakeholders: government, unions, employers, universities, and communities. Whereas, in terms of child labour, OSH could be one of the good ways to tackle or eliminate the worst forms of child labour when OSH related measurements eliminate or substitute hazards in workplaces. These concerns were raised when the ILO presented key findings of the Rapid Assessment on Occupational Safety and Health, Child and Young Workers in Furniture Making and Woodworking Industry in Indonesia in Jepara on 22 April and in Semarang on 24 April. The Presidential Decree No. 59 of 2002 on National Action Plan includes this sector as one of the worst forms of child labour (WFCL). The assessment indicated that working children below 15 and years old are vulnerable to be exposed to hazards in this sector The assessment indicated that working children below 15 and years old are vulnerable to be exposed to hazards in this sector. For example, it is noticed that 20% out of 75 child workers has been absent due to illness, higher than adult workers, says Hanifa Maher Dany, the ILO consultant from Diponegoro University who conducted the rapid assessment. They are exposed to dust, fume, noise, sharp tools, solvent and others. Many times they get electrical shocks since so many unsafe electric wires. They are very vulnerable from many hazards which can endanger their future life. Dr. Harjono, Chairperson of the Indonesia National OSH Council (DK3N), was apprehensive about this situation. Employers and adult workers should provide proper and adequate training for young workers, especially those between the ages of 15 17, before employing them. They also have to improve the workplace condition to make it safer for them. A similar concern also raised by the government. Warsini, Sub Directorate on Inter-Sectoral Collaboration, Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, encouraged her colleagues from the labour inspection unit to increase inspection visits, to provide better assistances, and to protect young workers of ages. ILO/ILO Jakarta Improving the OSH condition in workplaces in Central Java is not new to the local government. The government has formulated child labour related legal products, such as Central Java Provincial Regulation No. 7 of 2007 on Elimination of Child Labour; Central Java Governor s Regulation No. 93 of 2007 on Establishment of the Central Java Provincial Action Committee on Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour; and Central Java Governor s Regulation No. 4 of 2008 on Establishment of the Central Java Provincial Action Plan on Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Bambang Prayitno, Head of Labour Inspection Unit under Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Provincial Office, guaranteed that OSH, child labour and youth employment issues will be mainstreamed in the action plans of Central Java and Jepara through the elimination of hazardous working conditions for young workers in the woodworking and furniture industry. The Province of Central Java will continue to pay a serious attention to this issue. We are the first region where an employer who employed a child below 18 of ages in one of the worst forms of child labour was brought to the court and sentenced. 16

17 PIPE Project: Maintaining the Sustainability EMPLOYMENT The ILO-Papua Indigenous Peoples Empowerment (PIPE) Project, which is aimed at contributing to the empowerment of indigenous peoples in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, Indonesia, has facilitated from July the implementation of various follow-up capacity-building activities with its partner community organizations and concerned government agencies in four pilot sites, namely, Districts Muara Tami in Kota Jayapura- Papua, District Kemtuk Gresi/Gresi Selatan in Kabupaten Jayapura- Papua and Districts Tana Rubuh and Kebar/ Senopi, Kabupaten Manokwari-West Papua. Aimed at ensuring the sustainability of results so far achieved, the bundle of activities included the handingover of site-specific T. Muhamad/ILO Jakarta production equipment and facilities to strengthen existing community livelihood support mechanisms; the provision of opportunities for collective leadership and responsibility to improve the organizational management skills of partner community leaders; and the launching of additional skills enhancement training for women to increase awareness of gender roles in the village development process. The ILO*s entrepreneurship training targeted for women from local community in Jayapura District, Papua. Alan Boulton, Director of ILO in Indonesia, together with concerned local government officials, including Margono, Assistant 1, City of Jayapura, Zadrak Wamebu, Vice Bupati, Jayapura District, as well as Sergius Muabuay and Yohanes Hegemur, Head of Provincial Social Affairs, Manokwari District and Province of West Papua, respectively, were on hand to inaugurate the activities. Many other officials representing various local government units/offices involved in the project also came not only to witness but more importantly to assist in the conduct of the activities. They all expressed willingness to help the partner communities sustain the project results. During the activities, the main livelihood enhancement facilities and equipment handed over consisted of, among others, community livelihood service centers, plant nurseries, mechanized fishing boats and accessories, hand tractors, water pumps, generators, grass cutters and food processing hand tools. The formal handing over of these community facilities and equipment followed a long period of preparation in terms of institutional and skills development, integrating gender roles awareness-raising and strengthening of peace and development mechanisms. In their respective remarks, Nerlince Rollo, Head of the Community Development Facilitators of Reba A ling, the partner community organization in district Muara Tami and John Lensru, Head of Dewan The PIPE project is currently being implemented in support of the national program for community empowerment (PNPM) and the local strategic plan for village development (RESPEK). Konsultasi Dumtru (DKD), the partner community organization in District Kemtuk Gresi/South Gresi expressed their appreciation of the community-driven participatory development (CDPD) approach or Pembangunan Partisipasi Kemandirian Masyarakat (P2KM) being used in the project. They explained that in the beginning the people were not certain of the real meaning of the project, as unlike other projects that they have known, it was not giving the usual financial and material hand-outs. It was only sometime later in the project implementation process that they realized the project was out mainly to strengthen individual and collective self-reliance by providing much needed facilitative support services. 17

18 SOCIAL DIALOGUE Study Visit of Bipartite Delegation: Learning from Malaysia Democratic reforms in Indonesia, started in mid-nineties, have opened up opportunities for social partners to assert an active role in shaping labour market institutions and processes. Significant strides have been made towards creating an enabling environment for employers, workers and their organizations to associate and voice concerns about social and economic policy. Various channels were created for employers and workers to influence the regulatory environment, policies and programmes and advance the interests of their members for balanced labour market outcomes. The ILO/Norway Project on Social Dialogue and Youth Employment is an important channel for strengthening the capacity of unions (Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union Confederation (KSBSI), Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI), and (All Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI)) and the Indonesian Employers Organization (Apindo) and encouraging synergy in addressing youth employment issues. In this context, the bipartite cooperation between the employers and workers will focus on the development and sharing of knowledge on youth skills-related issues from both sides. This cooperation will culminate in joint discussions of results and the development of recommendations for the government. As part of the bipartite synergy, the project organized a study visit to Malaysia for Apindo and union officials from 1 to 5 July. The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) and the Malaysia Trade Union Congress (MTUC) shared lessons learned from their experiences in advocating and advancing their members interests. Topics discussed included employment, skills, research, education and training, in particular for youth. The bipartite delegation also met with the representatives of the Ministry of Human Resources of Malaysia, Human Resources Development Fund Indonesian delegation during the meeting with the MEF (Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad/PSMB) and the vocational training center (CIAST). The Ministry of Human Resources had developed the National Occupation Standard System (NOSS), which has been applied widely and consistently by all relevant institutions connected with the employment policy (i.e the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, or MPC). There are many initiatives that we learnt from the MEF. One of them related to job centers that match the needs of workers and young job-seekers. We are also impressed with the MEF Academy, which provides industrial relations diplomas and degrees to the human resources staff. Apindo should be able to apply similar approaches for its members, said Nina Tursinah, Chairwoman of Apindo after the meeting with the MFE. Marmin Martono, a workers representative, was also impressed with the facilities provided by the MTUC. It is inspiring to see the MTUC office equipped with a sophisticated library and training facilities for members and the public. Following the study visit, the bipartite delegation will prepare a joint recommendation and draft action plan to be presented to their national board members on how they can strengthen their influence on skills and education policy, formulate strategies to promote bipartite and tripartite cooperation on skills and education and identify the specific roles each workers and employers organizations in promoting youth employment. ILO/ILO Jakarta 18

19 Improving the Effectiveness of Employers Organizations in Indonesia SOCIAL DIALOGUE The ILO, in collaboration with the ILO s International Training Center and the Dutch Employers Cooperation Programme (DECP), organized a three-day workshop on effective employers organizations in Indonesia from 8 10 July at Aryaduta Hotel, Jakarta. This was a follow-up to a similar workshop organized in 2007 to strengthen the capacity of Apindo. The first workshop only targeted board and staff members of the Indonesian Employers Organization (Apindo) at national and provincial levels. It covered basic topics that to improve the effectiveness of the employers organization, such as good governance, lobbying and advocacy, services to members, membership, revenue building and strategic planning. The first workshop concluded with the establishment of a specific project amongst emerging branches of Apindo in five districts: Karawang, Bojonegoro, Asahan, Makassar and Tarakan. The main goal of the project was to create a pool of lessons learnt and models to be replicated by other regencies. project to further improve the capacity of Apindo. The participants were also included the board and staff members of (Apindo) at district levels. Furthermore, the workshop provided an opportunity for Apindo to learn from other employers organizations from various countries such as Singapore, New Zealand, Srilanka, Mongolia, Netherlands, British and Italy. I greatly welcome this workshop. We need to strengthen the capacity of Apindo at all levels, in particular in the district level. I believe that we can learn from each other during the workshop, and we can share experiences with other employers organizations abroad in order to improve the effectiveness of our organizations, said Sofjan Wanandi, the President of Apindo, in his opening remarks. The main topic discussed in the workshop was the strategy of Apindo at national, provincial and district levels. The role of each branch of Apindo was also examined, as Apindo works towards a higher level of influence and strength, to improve techniques of lobbying and advocacy and to improve their services for membership development. One of the main aims of the follow-up workshop was to ensure the dissemination of the lessons learned by the UN Resident Coordinator In Brief to visit ILO Rural Road Project in Aceh Besar El-Mostafa Benlamih, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UN RC), visited Aceh on 5 11 July. He visited one of roads under the ILO Rural Road Project in Aceh Besar District, Ingin Jaya Sub-district on 9 July ILO/ILO Jakarta The ILO district engineer for Aceh Besar, Yusrizal briefed the UN RC team about the project and the ongoing maintenance works in this sub district. He also met with M. Yusuf, the team leader who coordinates with the local community on the maintenance works under the ILO project about his plans after the maintenance works are completed. In Aceh and Nias, as of June 2008, about 97.2 km of roads in five districts have been rehabilitated under this project and 20.2 km of roads have been maintained using a community-based system. The rehabilitation and maintenance of roads has created 214, 733 work days with women participation s at 21.5% and 33.2% in Aceh and Nias respectively. Phase I of the project started in March 2008 and will be completed in September Extension of the project to December 2009 was reviewed by Multi Donor Fund in June

20 EMPLOYMENT Indonesia Ratifies ILO Convention No. 185 on SEAFARERS IDENTITY DOCUMENTS The Government of Indonesia ratified the Seafarers Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185) in January 2008 by the Law No. 1/2008. The instrument of ratification was officially handed over to the ILO in July This ratification brings the number of countries that have either ratified or declared applicable this Convention to 14. This convention was adopted by representatives from governments, workers and employers of ILO member States at the 91st International Labour Conference in Geneva in June Convention No. 185 is the first international binding instrument requiring a global mandatory identification system for a particular category of workers. It puts in place a comprehensive security system containing biometric identifications that enables the positive identification of seafarers holding the document. The Convention is designed to strengthen security measures in the maritime transport sector. For maritime workers, the Convention not only ensures their rights and privileges but also facilitates their mobility while travelling to join their ship, return home or go ashore in foreign ports. It also facilitates global shipping operations for shipowners. I heartily welcome this ratification by Indonesia. It demonstrates the commitment by the Government of Indonesia to ensure decent work for its seafarers while contributing to enhancing maritime security, says ILO Director-General, Juan Somavia, on receiving the instrument of ratification. With this ratification, Indonesia can now begin issuing Seafarers Identity Documents to its seafarers. This Employers and Workers to Tackle Youth Unemployment Decent work for youth is a challenge faced by most of the countries in the world. The unemployment rate is still considered the most visible and obvious indicator of the youth employment challenge. Numerous studies highlight a particular problem in linking the educational policies and institutions with industries to prepare youth for entering the world of work. Lack of a tradition for dialogue between the bureaucracy and private companies contributes to the problem. In addition, the ILO s school-to-work survey of 2004 revealed a lack of business participation in pre-labour market guidance to prepare and develop school-leavers potential for the workplace. Only half of job-seekers and 40 per cent of employees had prior work experiences during their schooling or training. In these circumstances, bigger companies solve their skills problems by investing in in-house training facilities, but the vast majority has to rely on skills available on the market, even if they are of unsatisfactory quality. To further discuss this problem, the ILO/Norway Project on Youth Employment and Social Dialogue organized a Bipartite Forum on 30 June, aimed at 20 providing a forum for national unions (Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union Confederation (KSBSI), Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI), and (All Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI)) and the Indonesian Employers Organization (Apindo) to talk about ways to assist the government in tackling youth employment problems and link efforts to the Indonesian Youth Employment Network (IYEN) and Indonesia Youth Employment Action Plan (IYEAP). The forum also aimed at extending bipartite cooperation and acknowledging youth employment as an important aspect in the overall employment policy. The forum concluded with the formulation of action plans from both employers and workers. To move forward, under its action plan on youth employment, Apindo will do the following activities: 1. organize monthly bipartite meeting to promote a synergy between Apindo and unions on youth employment issues; 2. socialize Youth Training Modules in retail and automotive sectors developed by Apindo and relevant industries through the implementation of the training in the other regions;

21 EMPLOYMENT will permit Indonesian seafarers to have shore leave at seaports and enables them to go to hospitals for medical treatment, mail letters to their families back home and report any piracy and smuggling activities to the authorities, says the Indonesian Transportation Minister Jusman Safii Djamal. The Indonesian Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Deputy Permanent Representative for the Government of Indonesia, stated, This ratification will strengthen the commitment of the Government of Indonesia to protect the increasing number of Indonesian seafarers all over the world. In this respect, the Government of Indonesia stands ready to cooperate more closely with the ILO. Indonesia is the largest supplier of sea-going maritime personnel among the countries that have ratified the Convention. More than 50,000 Indonesian seafarers are now entitled to a Seafarers Identity Document (SID), including a large number of passenger vessel staff. Across the globe, potentially more than 1.5 million seafarers are entitled to an ILO compliant SID. ILO/ILO Jakarta 3. propose to the government to use the modules in the public vocational training centers (BLK); 4. strengthen the research capacity of Apindo in building database and members needs survey; and 5. link school leavers with the industry demand through an electronic job matching system that provides information on the qualification of job seekers and the needs of employers. The system can be accessed through Apindo s website. Meanwhile, the unions action plan on youth employment is as follows: 1. Organize monthly bipartite meeting to promote a synergy between Apindo and unions on youth employment issues; 2. Strengthen the capacity of Youth Committee within each confederation to actively involve in the national youth employment policy formulation and implementation; and 3. Work together with unions research center (ILRTI) to review union initiatives in tackling youth employment issues. The forum also included different ILO projects that deal with youth employment issues, such as the Job Opportunities for Youth (JOY) and the Education and Skills Training for Youth Employment (EAST) projects. Agenda Transitional Education Training for Teachers and Tutors, Banyuwangi, August 2008 National Public Forum on Freedom of Association, Looking Back, Looking Forward, Jakarta, 28 August 2008 Job and Education Counseling Training, Bogor, 4 10 September Menko Ekuin Planning Session Follow-Up, Bogor, September 2008 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Training Session, Qatar, October 2008 Youth Employment Summit, Bali, October 2008* Training of Trainers on Certification for Trainers: Making Microfinance Work Managing for Improved Performance, Jakarta, 3 14 November 2008 ILO Jamsostek Joint National Seminar on Social Security, Jakarta, October 2008* The Commemoration of the AIDS World Day, 1 December* (*) *) planned 21

22 COLUMN Covering the Uncovered: Making Social Security Works for Informal Workers in Indonesia By Tauvik MUHAMAD, Programme Officer of ILO in Indonesia Despite the fact that social protection is a recognized universal human right, 80% of the world s population is not yet covered by social security. Most of these people are engaged in dirty and risky jobs in the informal economy that is, employment other than for a legally recognized entity. These workers also represent the majority of the workforce in many developing countries, including Indonesia. The good news is that the implementation of Social Security System (SJSN) Law of 2004, which calls for universal social security coverage in both formal and informal economies in Indonesia, is finally about to be implemented. After many delays, it looks like significant changes may be put in place before the set deadline of At present, only 46% of the 36 million workers employed in formal economy are covered by one of the three existing social security schemes (the main one of which is the Jamsostek scheme, the national social insurance fund for private sector employers and their employees). As such, the extension of universal coverage to informal workers appears, at first glance, too good to be true. Such pessimism stems partly from the complexity of the informal economy and the enormous budget required. Some sceptics are of the opinion that, due to the country s current economic situation, Indonesia simply cannot afford it. However, the experience of several other countries has proved that there is no strong correlation between the social security coverage and social spending. This tends to indicate that a country s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is less important in establishing universal social security than was once thought. Creating universal social security protection may only be a matter of political will. Countries like Singapore which has relatively higher GDP per capita than US, has much lower social A. Mirza/ILO Jakarta security expenditure comparing to the US. In contrary, Poland is in the same league as Uruguay, with very low income level in the world, but has a greater level of public expenditure for social security, even in comparison with the US. 22

23 COLUMN Enacting a law to make social security accessible to informal sector workers is the right decision for Indonesia. An ILO survey of informal economy workers in Indonesia in 2003 confirmed that a significant portion of the workers need social protection. The capacity to pay contributions to a social insurance scheme, however, was very low: only 41% and 16% in urban and rural areas respectively. While a formal worker pays only 2%, an informal worker has to pay 6.3% to 9.3% for full insurance coverage. Such figures demonstrate the urgent need for the government to address the social protection of informal workers. At this stage, Jamsostek has been nominated as a provider of social insurance programmes for informal economy workers. Despite its slow progress in extending its programmes to such workers, it has recently initiated several steps to comply with the SJSN law. This year, for example, Jamsostek will target 280,000 uncovered informal workers as new members triple that of last year. Jamsostek is also establishing partnerships with the government and other state-owned enterprises, as well as providing advances taken from their Corporate Social Responsibility fund (CSR) to attract further prospective members from the informal sector. However, the absence of a significant number of strong umbrella organizations in the informal economy remains as an obstacles to allowing informal workers to enrol in the scheme. The greatest challenge is actually making social insurance coverage for informal workers universally accessible. Some underlying problems that have to be addressed include the low and irregular income of most informal workers; the level and type of benefits that are not responsive to the needs and resources in the informal economy; a general lack of awareness of social insurance concepts; a distrust of government institutions; and the absence of good governance and administration. Rather than establishing new institutions to focus exclusively on serving informal workers, the goal should be to ultimately convert informal sector employment to jobs in the formal sector. In the meantime, coherent and comprehensive policies are required to in order to prioritize social insurance access for certain types of informal sector work. This will require feasibility studies and pilot projects to recruit new members from the informal sector. These could be financed through seed funding from the CSR fund. The next level up is the capacity building of existing opportunities in the informal economy through entrepreneurship training programmes. This would assist workers to remain employed and make regular contributions to their social insurance schemes. Most importantly, in addition to public awareness rising of social security and training course programme for administrator of social insurance provider, a robust strategic plan is needed to sustain the channelling of the CSR fund into improving the capacity of umbrella organizations in the formal sector, such as cooperatives. It is hoped that these institutions will eventually be developed further into formal economy institutions. Through such formalization, the burden of informal workers in paying contributions will be reduced, as they will be able to share the dues with cooperatives as their employers. Covering the uncovered workers in Indonesia s informal economy entails extending to 60 million workers their constitutional right to social protection. This number represents twice the number of formal sector workers and the vast majority of those working in insecure jobs and with the constant threat of falling below the poverty line. Apart from fulfilling their constitutional rights, such a feat will make a huge and concrete difference to their lives. (This article was published by The Jakarta Post on 18 August 2008). Smart Workers is a joint interactive talkshow of the ILO in collaboration with Smart FM, designed to raise awareness of basic rights in the workplace. For those who are interested in learning more about employment and labour issues, just tune in to 95,9 FM! 23

24 BOOKS Social Security in Indonesia: Advancing the Development Agenda (Revised version) ISBN No Over years, the ILO has supported the development of social security in Indonesia through technical cooperation projects. Based on these experiences, this report summarizes the recent developments in social security and identifies areas where additional ILO input could be helpful to Indonesia. The scope of the report covers the following key issues: i) Implementation of the National Social Security (SJSN) Law; ii) Reform of Jamsostek, in particular changing its legal status to trust fund; iii) Extension of social security coverage for the informal economy workers; and iv) Social assistance targeting the poor. Convention No. 102 on Social Security ISBN No The ILO Conventions are international treaties, subject to ratification of the ILO member states. The ILO Convention No. 102 was adopted by the International Labour Conference (ILC) in The Convention highlights important aspects of social security, such as medical care, sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, employment injury benefit, maternity benefit, and invalidity benefit. Social Security: A New Consensus* ISBN No At its 89 th Session in June 2001, the International Labour Conference (ILC) held a general discussion on social security. This publication contains the conclusions of the Committee on Social Security, large extracts from the report of the Committee s discussions and the whole of the report which was prepared as a basis for the Committee s discussions. Overview of Child Labour Monitoring* ISBN No This brief report provides information on the importance of child labour monitoring, steps of implementation and the child labour monitoring frameworks, as well as how it can be effectively conducted at local and national levels. Impact Assessment: Gender and Entrepreneurship Together (GET Ahead) Training Implementation ISBN No This report summarizes the main findings of an impact assessment (survey, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews) conducted in February 2008 for this GET Ahead training programme. The benefits received by women entrepreneurs with micro and small enterprises that participated in the training courses and the capacities of participating Training of Entrepreneurs trainers from ILO WED partner organizations are presented and discussed in the report to provide feedback and recommendations to assist in developing the programme further for Indonesia and elsewhere. Start Your Business: Impact Assessment Study in Aceh 2007 ISBN No This study investigates how the Start Your Business (SYB) programme has contributed to business start-ups and improvement in Aceh. It provides a comprehensive picture of the condition of micro and small businesses in Aceh, including the challenges and opportunities. This study provides information and insights that are aimed to improve enterprise development efforts in Aceh as efforts to increase entrepreneurial skills and opportunities for the province s most precious resources: the young women and men of Aceh. * only available in Bahasa Indonesia 24