Kebun sawit memberikan peluang pendapatan ekonomi keluarga dan kesempatan kerja bagi orang asli Papua.(ANTARA News Papua)
BOVEN DIGOEL – Over the past three years, TSE Group has absorbed more than 2,400 Indigenous Papuan People (OAP) as workers. They hold positions in various companies, from PT Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE), PT Dongin Prabhawa (DP), to PT Berkat Cipta Abadi (BCA), all of which are specialized in oil palm plantation operating in Merauke and Boven Digoel Regencies, Papua Province.
Director of Human Resources and General Affairs (HR-GA) at TSE Group, Ronny Makal said that this number was higher compared to when TSE Group started its operation in Papua in 1997.
At that time, the number of natives working at the company did not even reach hundreds of people. “Because most Papuans were not used to farming, especially oil palm,” Ronny explained.
On the other hand, working in oil palm plantations does require special skills and there were still many workers who did not understand how to manage and process plantation products.
However, as time went by, the community’s interest in oil palm plantations began to increase, especially when they saw their local fellows having success by working at TSE Group. “They saw the natives who progressed in this plantation, so they started to take interest (in working at oil palm plantations),” Ronny said.
Seeing the interest, the company started its recruitment process for OAP more actively. The company often holds socialization on employment opportunities and even takes proactive ways by visiting many districts and villages. Especially to Merauke and Boven Digoel Regencies which are TSE Group’s operational areas.
Collaboration with the local government, especially district heads are also held frequently. Through these various efforts, the company hopes it can maximize the absorption of OAP workers, so the unemployment rate can continue to decrease. So in the end, the community welfare can improve.
Ronny said that to date, the indigenous Papuan people have held various strategic positions at TSE Group, from section heads, assistant managers, to managers at the field and offices.
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In order to maximize the potential for employment absorption, Ronny elaborated that the company had provided many conveniences. One of them is by excluding a school certificate from administrative requirement. “For those in villages, the most important thing is they have identity card and family register,” he said.
Even if there are people with no identity card and family register, the company will provide even more ease. They can still apply for jobs and if they pass, the management of TSE Group will help them take care of the administration by involving the Population and Civil Registry Office (Disdukcapil).
The proactive step was taken due to the lack of willingness from the natives to work in the palm oil industry. Therefore, the company must be proactive in offering opportunities to those who want to apply.
TSE Group also frequently hold collaboration with the Papua Provincial Manpower Office to expand the scope of recruitment into workforce who own school certificates.
Ronny admitted that there are many challenges faced in absorbing workers, namely the OAP workers who have completed higher education prefer to become civil servants (PNS) after working at TSE Group for one to two years.
However, the challenges did not diminish the company’s spirit to maximize the empowerment of the Papuan people. Ronny emphasized that TSE Group remains committed to prioritize absorption of workers from the community around the company.
This commitment is carried out by TSE Group to help improve the welfare of the surrounding community through job creation. According to the data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) in Papua as of August 2020 was at the level of 4.28 percent. This data is the latest figure released by BPS last November 2020.
This unemployment rate in Papua is still below the national average of 7.07 percent. However, this data illustrates the potential of workforce that has not been much absorbed so it requires special attention from many parties, including private entity such as TSE Group. (*)
Source : antaranews.com
