InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - In general palm oil plantations are divided in three groups, they are, the big private plantation, the government, and the people’s plantations.
It is clear that the big palm oil plantation and the government’s plantations nationally would refer to the Laws No. 13 / 2003 about the Labors to manage the workers. It would be unwise if the big stakeholders hire those who are not regulated in the regulation. The big private would obey the regulation in hiring the female workers. The labor system in the big plantation would be monitored by the local government nationally.
What about the people’s plantations? In general, the people’s plantations are divided into some groups, based on Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS).
The independent smallholders are divided into four groups, such as, the first, those who have 1 to 4 hectares plantations.
The second group is those who have 5-10 hectares, the third is those who have 11 to 19 hectares and the fourth is those who have 20-24 hectares.
Some may have more than 25 hectares but actually they should not be categorized as the smallholders because it breaks the limits in the regulation. On the other word, the group is categorized as the small and middle class - stakeholders. This group uses labors to cultivate their areas.
Chairman in Labor, Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), Sumarjono Saragih told that it is important to monitor and supervise the labor system on the groups which cultivate the plantation. It is about to know the labor protection and who they hire. “It always happened that palm oil industries burden the responsibility,” he said.
It is better, he continued, there should be the same solution and firm law enforcement. The big private plantation companies have the instrument both in the law enforcement and in hiring the female. It needs to know if the female workers are exploited or not.
It needs to understand that the female would work if they need only. If the option is to make them as the officers, it needs to obey the regulations.
The female would work if they are needed. There is no regulation about this too. “They would work in each season. Do they fulfill the condition? The main key is the function of supervision,” he said.
Sumarjono also told that there was term, Family Gank. It had no issue but now, if they take their children to pick up the seeds, it breaks the regulation.
Source: Majalah InfoSAWIT, September 2020