10 Interesting Facts about Child Labor in Indonesia

Have you heard about the news of Children Labor in Indonesia? If it is yes, what is your opinion of it? Yap, some of you would like to say it is a violence, crime, or even cruel exploitation. Indonesia, a country with rather large population surprisingly is one of the countries that could not protect the children well. The labor that underage the labor force, which is often referred to child labor, many of which still be encountered in Indonesia. If you read these following facts, you might be quite surprised.

1. 1,7 million of Indonesian Children become the labor

The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration estimates about 1.7 million children of Indonesians are becoming child labor. There are at least 400,000 child laborers are forced to work for the worst and most dangerous jobs.  There are 400,000 child laborers are forced to work for the worst and most dangerous jobs, such as: slavery, prostitution, pornography and gambling, drug involvement, and other hazardous works.

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2. 20% of the workers in oil palm plantations is the children

There are at least 20% of the workers in oil palm company is the children. This rate is quite surprising that still many of oil palm company legalize the child labor.  Therefore, the Indonesian oil palm industry has often been questioned by several countries, especially Europe, on issues of human rights violations and labor.

The reason of this condition can be classified into three classifications. First, the child labor is in the status of helping the parents to fulfill the production target. Second, the children who work because of the location of their house are around the company. Then third, there are children who work or help the parents on plantations with plasma plantation status, but some are also planted in the core company.

3. Most of the child labor was cut from their school

 Many child laborers become lazy to continue their school after they get some money from their job. As the result, the rate of children cut from the school is raising. A data got from some resources record that the recognition of child labor for studying at school is totally decreased. The reason is also quite surprising since they prefer to work rather than getting some knowledge at school. They need a really great support and motivation to come back to school. (Read also: School Life in Indonesia )

4. Some of the child labor is forced by their parents

The number of child exploitation cases by the parents is also terribly surprising in Indonesia. Feeling as the owner of the child, then the parents make the child as a means to earn a living in order to increase income and can meet the economic needs of the family.

Even if there are children who want to help work, parents do not necessarily say yes. It must be seen first what the field of work will be done. Is it dangerous, whether it will interrupt their study hours? Many parents that are consciously or unconsciously have given more responsibilities to children who are not old enough. It is also called child exploitation, right? (Read also: Family Traditions in Indonesia)

5. The Indonesian Regulation of Employment surprisingly legalize the child labor

In Article 68 of Employment Law already mentioned the employed are prohibited to employ the child labor. However, there are still many companies that violate it. Although there are exceptions to the law, children 13 to 15 years may work in industry, but specifically for light work, have no physical, health or social hazards, and a maximum of 3 hours per day. However, this part of the law sometimes is being abused by the employer. That is why the government should do some revisions toward the part of the Employment Law. (Read also: Indonesian Work Culture )

6. The most factor found of child labor is economy and migration

Economic factors are the main reason of increasing the number of child laborers. The increasingly expensive price of basic commodities, high levels of demand and increased expenses require children to go to help meet their basic needs. Some of these child labor cases occur in lower middle-class families. The second factor is the large number of migrations, especially urbanization, is the migration of villagers to cities increasing the number of child laborers.

7. Almost of Child Exploitation Labor happen in Karawang and Bekasi

Industrial areas in Bekasi, Karawang, and surrounding areas are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation activities that employ child labor. Ironically, many companies are employing child labor without being able to provide protection and accident insurance. According to some resources, specifically in the industrial area of ​​Bekasi, the child laborers are usually employed in various garment companies. While in Karawang, they are usually employed as industrial laborers. (Read also: Characteristics of Indonesian Workplace)

8. The government conducting PPA-PKH to reduce the child labor

PPA-PKH (Program Pengurangan Pekerja Anak dalam rangka mendukung program Keluarga Harapan) is the program conducted by the Social Ministry of Indonesia, Khofifah – that aimed to reduce the child labor. Through this program, one of the government’s efforts to return Children to school is done. They will motivate the children to get back to school at this event.

The child labor will be directed to the Education Center called LPK. There will be a learning activity studio. There, they are directed to be given many skills so that later will plunge into the community and will be able to compete at nations. 

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9. The government is targeting Indonesia will be free from child labor in 2022

The good news is coming from the government’s target. The Ministry of Manpower has established a program of withdrawing child laborers to achieve the target of Indonesia Free Child Labor by 2022. This is an effort to accelerate the withdrawal of child labor so they are free from the dangerous work. They could also come back to school to continue their study.

The program is expected to prevent children from the worst and dangerous jobs such as slavery, prostitution, pornography, gambling, and drug involvement.

10. Child Protection Policy Program to avoid child labor

Child Protection Policy (CPP) is aimed to improve the welfare of children living in oil palm plantations when their parents work. This new policy becomes the first pioneer in the palm oil industry that will explicitly extend to suppliers and contractors. The first pioneer industry which conducted this program is Wilmar Industry.

It was developed based on the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also aimed to protect all children in Wilmar operations and related services.

Those are the facts of Indonesian child labor. It would become the great concern for the government of Indonesia. Fortunately, the government has already been cooperative enough in doing some effort to reduce the number of child labor. You could also give your contributions in reducing the number of child labor by sharing this knowledge to other. So, when there is more people care about the child labor, the employer would stop to employ the child as their labor.