Pesticide is a chemical compund which made for the purposing of death or the dangerous for nature life (Nhachi, 1999). The exposure level of pesticides significantly made the negative impact for health. Its charater poisons to human and have negative impact for environment and ecosystem. According to World Health Organization (WHO) and Envrionmental Program of United Nation (UNEP), mentioned that in developing countries every year occurs pesticides poisoned for workers whom works in agriculture sector as amount one to five cases and 20,000 cases in between lead to death (Fleische, 1999)., Kishi, et al (1995) added that the cases for pesticides poisoned unreported in details. So that, the numbers of poised is higher that the reported cases as well.
Generally chemical pesticides penetrating to human body through three way, namely: breath system, digestive system, skin tissue. The penetrating of pesticide through skin tissue is the most dangerous (Nigg, et al. 1988). Its based on the thought that the penetrated of pesticides through skin was unrealised. Otherwise, through mount and nose will be realised completely by itself. Doses not onlye determine the level of danger, but also explained the composition of dangerous chemical compound that could killed the microbes. The pesticides designed to targeting to kill the pest, however, when its applicated there another ecosystem such as, plants, crops, and humans in the target location of pesticides as well.
The fact was the palm oil plantation industries still using the danger pesticides and also the highly risk to poisoned of the spraying activity. Those pesticides were used to tackle the pest and disease of palm oil, such as; Fire Worm (Limacodidae) and bag caterpillar (Psychidae), base rot, fungi infections, and weed (Mikania micrantha) that could decreasing the palm oil productions to 50%. To protect the risk of decreasing the production, the company using the pesticides, such as; Gramoxone and Round up, Ally, Glisat, Glinat that contain paraquat and other danger chemical compound.
Stated from ex Minister of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Bungaran Saragih, acknowledge that there were 25 types of pesticides which is used on palm oil plantation industries. The effect that lead by the pesticides in palm oil plantation tend to highly value to life and human quality of life, due to could decreasing the productivity. The obstacles could experienced by women workers, such as; headache and dizzy, blurring, hand trembles, skin rash, and heart beat, over sweating, insomnia, breath problem, bellyful, vomiting annd diarrhea.
Women workers on palm oil plantation industries were highly risk for pesticides and fertilizer due to it was their jobs. Unfortunately they amount almost 65% from each palm plantation company with the working status is free labor (BHL). They even did not get their rights and working facilities including safety tools/Working equipment, the company management also unregistered the labor for social security program member. They even did not have Insurance Card that essential to help to overcome the health impact due to the exposure of pesticides and other working risks.
The workshop that hold by OPPUK and SERBUNDO at Medan Madani Hotel stated the explaination of pesticides impact and health security to women labor in palm oil plantation. This workshop acknowledge on how the pesicides impact negatively for environment and labor, women labor whom exposuring the pesticides did not have health security card and legal entity that should be protected for their rights based on Labor Law in Indonesia. This workshop involved three speakers, namely; Dr. Ir. Erika Pardede, M.App.Sc (Dosen Fakultas Pertanian Universitas HKBP Nomensen), Herwin Nasution, SH (Ketum SERBUNDO), and Fransiskus Bangun (Head Department of Labor Protection of Man Power Department North Sumatera Province). This workshop moderated by Henri Sitorus, PhD (Academician from Universitas Sumatera Utara) and attended by 31 delegations from the representative of Trade Union/Worker Union and NGOs in North Sumatera, the representative of Asian Agri Company and Mass Media as well.
In this forum there was a re-stressing that the pesticides is poison so its essential for women labor to realised when facing the poison. So that the stakeholders including company management could give clear information about the poison and danger for labor. The labor deserve to get the information about the types and danger of pesticides, getting the training on how to use the pesticides and getting the safety tools and facility check and health services based on regulation as well.
The government has a specialist supervisor, namely; Health and Working Safety Body that independently and direct coordinating to the Ministry level. This should encourage by trade union in order this Body could work properly to ensure the pesticides could not be used unapropriate and explaining the action and the threat for law if there is a violance as well. This body is separeted from the Man Power Department of North Sumatera Province. Otherwise the essential role for Supervisor for worker in Man Power Department either in District/City or Province level to bring order the labor adminitration in order to get the protection and health security including for chemical blood checking.
This workshop could be a momentom of social dialogue that involving the multi stakeholder that agree with the decision to encourage the monitoring and law enforcement of protecting the labor rights particularly for women who works for part with close contact with the threat of pesticides exposure and chemical fertilizer. Otherwise, the join commitment to encourage the setting of SMK3 system (SOP for mixing, application, storage, and the facility equipment of safety tools and waste management) related to pesticides and chemical fertilizers and also conducting the advance studies so the stakeholder could synergise. To encourage the relation practical of law that undiscrimination to women and respect to Human Rights, such as; hiring to become permanent labor, registering to Healthcare and Employment Insurance program, getting the facilities including safety tools and equipment tools, getting the education and training about Safety and Healthy Work. So that the women labor get the protection of their rights as labor and respecting to dignity and humanity as well.
