The government has said it will immediately implement a set of international conventions and the 2004 Labor Law to boost the competence of Indonesian seafarers and workers employed on oil and gas rigs.
The measure is designed to bring offshore workers' overall welfare up to international standards.
"In addition to International Maritime Organization (IMO) legal instruments, we will also pay close attention to International Labor Organization conventions," Transportation Minister Djusman Syafii Djamal said when closing a two-day International Transportation Workers' Federation (ITF) Offshore Task Force Group meeting on Thursday.
"Particularly to the freedom of union and collective bargaining to allow offshore workers on oil rigs and vessels to enter the international market."
Djusman said his office and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry would facilitate a tripartite agreement between the Indonesian Seafarers' Association (KPI) and the mining and shipping industries to provide standard training for workers and set minimum wages for all jobs on offshore rigs and vessels.
"Give me time until September to work out something concrete in making the policy and action plans a reality and to carry out all the programs," he added.
Djusman said all seafarers would be provided identification as required by the IMO; that workers' rights to unionize and to engage in collective bargaining would be encouraged and that vocational training would be offered to upgrade workers' competence levels and develop their careers.
Chairman of the ITF Offshore Task Force Group Norrie McVicar hailed the government's promises as a good starting point for allowing Indonesian offshore workers and seafarers to go global.
"We will be observing and keeping an eye on the 'concrete actions' the government will take to improve offshore workers' social welfare," he said.
The government's act of engaging in dialog with the KPI and offshore petroleum industry trainers should provide a solid launchpad for designing and implementing programs to enhance offshore safety and skills-based competence levels, he said.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the ITF, KPI and Scotland-based Offshore Professional Inspection Training Organization signed an agreement with the National Standardization and Certification Agency (BNSP) to table a list of certified offshore jobs and to search for training programs to improve the skills of offshore workers.
BNSP chairman Mudjiman said his office is still tabulating positions in the mining sector according to the international market.
Source : www.thejakartapost.com
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