InfoSAWIT, MEDAN – On 24 - 25 October 2023, at Hotel Swiss-Bellin, Medan it was the big day for palm oil industries in Indonesia. In a workshop Jaga Sawitan, it would be a forum called Jaringan Ketenagakerjaan Sawit Berkelanjutan (Jaga Sawitan) that was established.
The organization is the collaboration among palm oil stakeholders from Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), labors from JAPBUSI, and International Labor Organization (ILO). They wanted to create responsible labor practices based on available regulation in national and international scales in palm oil industries in Indonesia.
IPOA Chairman in Human Resource, Sumarjono Saragih, Jaga Sawitan was officially established on 16 February 2023. Though in the beginning it operated as bipartite forum between stakeholders and labors, it has vision to be the multi-party organization in the future. Nursanna Marpaung that was in charge in JAPBUSI, now as the President of Jaga Sawitan for the first year.
The initiative would not be a formal meeting only but also would be the real thing to establish decent work and sustainable palm oil practices. Jaga Sawitan planned to be introduced in every province that produces palm oil in Indonesia.
“North Sumatera as the province to launch this organization has history and philosophy because it was the first region for palm oil development in Indonesia or since 1911,” Saragih said.
Governor of North Sumatera in duty, Hasanuddin and Head of Transmigration and Labor Agency North Sumatera province did appreciate the fabulous partnership between stakeholders and labor in palm oil sector. He acknowledged the success of the social dialogue. He also mentioned that the same forum would only cover one party only – the stakeholders or the labors. But in Jaga Sawitan, partnership between both parties that have different goals, shows the good sample.
The workshop was not only discussion but also getting the real result. Many participants in the workshop signed declaration documents to emphasize their commitment to encourage social dialogue as the way to get labor practices which are the same with sustainable principles. The plan was to follow up many agenda. In the democracy spirit, Tohonan Tampubolon as Coordinator of Federasi Hukatan was chosen as the President of Jaga Sawitan, North Sumatera Province. (T2)
