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<\/p>\nA number of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been mounting their negative campaigns during the last few years against the Indonesian palm oil industry with one of their campaign themes is singled out on employment of underage children. Their accusations are often accompanied by photographs of children on oil palm plantations, which are used as visual evidence to support their negative narratives. However, their accusations are far from the truth.<\/p>\n
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The presence of children on oil palm plantations does not necessarily mean they are workers. Based on the social context of Indonesia, especially people in rural areas, very often children accompany their parents to their farming or plantation areas as part of family activities and socialization, not as labor. Taking children to the farming areas is also meant for protection of children as it is safer for them being nearby their parents in the plantations rather than being alone at home. Using the images of children simply accompanying their parents on the plantations and then accusing them of being “forced to work” is actually an irresponsible effort to create new form of exploitation against the Indonesian children. It is the act of manipulating reality with the aim of creating public lies.<\/p>\n
Labor experts have stated that such accusations undermine the dignity of Indonesian children and their parents and reflect a misunderstanding of rural work culture. On the legal side, Indonesia has strict regulations that prohibit the use of child labor. According to Law Number 13\/2003 concerning manpower, workers are defined as those with the age of 15 and above. To work in a formal company, a person must have a National Identity Card (KTP), which can only be obtained at the age of 17.<\/p>\n
It means that, legally and administratively, there is no room for palm oil companies to employ children. Moreover, technically, work on oil palm plantations such as harvesting fresh fruit bunches (FFB), spraying pesticides, or transporting the harvest requires the skills and physical strength of adults, not children.<\/p>\n
To counter the accusations, the\u00a0 Indonesian palm oil industries have undertaken a number of initiatives to address the issue of child labor. Through collaborations with various institutions such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), JARAK (National Network for the Elimination of Child Labor), PAACLA Indonesia, and PKPA (Center for Child Studies and Protection), palm oil industry players have developed a “Practical Guide and Good Practices for Child-Friendly Indonesian Palm Oil.”<\/p>\n
The initiative has not only affirmed a commitment to ensure the child labor-free plantations, but also encourages companies to provide facilities that support the well-being of their employees’ children, such as:<\/p>\n
daycare facilities on the worksite,<\/p>\n
children’s health facilities, and<\/p>\n
formal and non-formal education facilities.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
From national regulations to implementation on the ground, there is no room for child labor in the palm oil sector. Instead, palm oil companies have been active in creating an environment that supports the growth and development of children, fostering them as the next generation of Indonesia\u2019s sustainable plantation entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
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