Indonesia expected to ratify more ILO core conventions

INDONESIA: The Indonesian Parliament, which ratified ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise in June 1998, has just announced its intention to endorse the last three ILO Core Conventions, namely No. 105 (Abolition of Forced Labour), No. 111 (Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation), and No. 138 (Minimum Age for Admission to Employment). With these last three, the country will have ratified all seven ILO Core Conventions and be the first Asian country to do so. It is hoped the government will fully implement and enforce these fundamental workers' rights, both in law and in practice. The Indonesian parliamentary election will take place on June 7, and with the recent formation of a coalition of three main opposition parties, this could be the first truly multiparty election in four decades. Discussion of the situation in Indonesia will be one of the topics dealt with at the IMF's Central Committee meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on June 23-24.