Government Urges the Tobacco Industry to Maintain Industrial Relationship

The Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Muhaimin Iskandar expected workers and business people in the tobacco industry to maintain favorable industrial relationship to anticipate negative impact of the plan to restrict use of addictive elements by WHO.

The Government expected workers of the tobacco industry to prioritize on partnership with business people and the Government to maintain harmonious, dynamic, and fair relationship. This partnership was needed to overcome labor problems related to the tobacco industry.

This was set forth by the Minister upon witnessing the Declaration of the Formation of Asian Tobacco Forum conducted by the Alliance of Indonesian Tobacco Community (AMTI) in Jakarta this week. This declaration was attended by 7 nations, i.e. China, India, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, combined under the guidance of International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA).

In his welcoming message, the Minister of Labor and Transmigration expressed his high appreciation for the formation of the Asian Tobacco Forum to meet the global challenges faced by the industry.

The Government was fully aware of the complicated challenges faced by the tobacco industry. On the one hand the tobacco industry tobacco was an important source of income and labor facilitator. In Asia, tobacco even helped to enhance advancement of the people and national economic growth.

On the other hand, the tobacco industry was having great challenges with the stipulation of WHO on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which regulated use of content of tobacco products for people’s health.

Therefore the Government encouraged workers and business people involved in the tobacco industry in Indonesia to maintain a conducive industrial relationship whereby to minimize the negative impact of the restrictions on additive elements in tobacco stipulated by WHO.

In regard to the formation of the Asian Tobacco Forum, the Minister of Labor and Transmigration expected that the tobacco industry and the tobacco community in Asia might be able to meet all challenges rightly and effectively. This forum was expected to bear a balanced output between the development of tobacco industry, labor opportunities and people’s health.

The role of this international forum was expected to come up with solutions to anticipate the impact of great challenges faced by all involved in the tobacco industry, especially in Indonesia.