Labors without rights

Labors without rights in The Palm Oil Plantations

The key finding of a research done in 2011 by several NGOs in Indonesia shows that there is a systematic effort of the LSP (Large Scale Plantation) to obscure the administration of labor. It derives many other impacts, including hindering the labor to access normative rights, children workers, properly protected, and undecent wages. Little protest by the labors could bear punishment such laid off, simply said that the legality of the labor is a major prerequisite for a worker to be able to access their rights.

Research estimates that in the large scale plantations, an estate (in some places is called "division") consists of 600 hectares to 1000 hectares, with SKU Permanent Workers) and BHL (Casual Workers) of 250 to 300 people, not including the Kernet (undocumented assistants or helpers). If the area of ​​LSP nation wide covers 4 million hectares, it can be estimated that the number of SKU and BHL workers are as many as 1.2 million people, not including helper. All workers, estimated to have at least one helper, so that the total minimum number of workers in the LSP is as much as 2, 4 million people across Indonesia.

Child labor contained in the undocumented and unregistered BHL and the assistants. If only 50 percent of the helper consists of the children, then the number of child laborers nationwide at least as many as 600,000 people. If the entire palm plantations both LSP and non-corporate and small farmers counted, then child labor will reach millions of people.

Saurlin Siagian