PALMOILMAGAZINE, KOTIM – Koperasi Unit Desa (KUD) Tri Daya, the sole cooperative in Kotawaringin Timur Regency (Kotim) holding both Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certificates, continues to strengthen its support for members, the independent smallholders.
Recently, 325 independent smallholders under KUD Tri Daya received work accident insurance from Badan Pengelola Jaminan Sosial (BPJS) Ketenagakerjaan, supported by the Kotim Regency to enhance their welfare.
“With this insurance, the independent smallholders can feel more secure and comfortable while working in the plantations,” stated Rohmat, Manager of ICS Certification at KUD Tri Daya, in official information provided to Palmoilmagazine.com on Friday, June 14, 2024.
He further emphasized the potential risks in plantations, such as accidents involving motorcycles during fresh fruit bunch (FFB) distribution or FFB falling incidents from trees.
Nevertheless, Rohmat emphasized the work accident insurance does not mean to ignore the good plantation (work) and health system. “The smallholders have to apply or use self-protection tools in standards,” he emphasized.
Work accident insurance would be as the anticipation or prevention for the smallholders that the fund was from palm oil profit sharing that the regency got.
The insurance card was handed over to smallholders in the Sawit Expo inauguration day on 8 June 2024. They who got the subsidy thanked the regional government for being protected when working in the plantations or in the group. “By having the insurance, the smallholders would be protected when going from home, working, and going back home,” Rohmat said.
KUD Tri Daya would keep doing the best to protect and escalate the members’ welfare as same as the sustainability principles through ISPO and RSPO. This would be the sample for other unions in Indonesia to deliver the best services for independent smallholders. (T2)
