Microsoft Word - Wa Ode Sitti Hafsah 3 E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 15 MARGINALIZATION OF WOMEN LABORERS AT OIL PALM INDUSTRY OF DAMAI JAYA LESTARI COMPANY IN WIWIRANO DISTRICT OF NORTH KONAWE REGENCY, SOUTHEAST SULAWESI Wa Ode Sitti Hafsah, A.A. Ngurah Anom Kumbara, Ni Made Wiasti, I Ketut Setiawan Halu Oleo University email: sitihafsahwaode@yahoo.co.id ABSTRACT This study discusses the forms of marginalization of women laborers at oil palm industry of Damai Jaya Lestari Company in Wiwirano District of North Konawe Regency. The economy factor brings the women to work in public sector as hard laborer because their education level is low. As the result, they often get unjustify action and marginalization. As qualitative method and culture studies, this study aims finding out the forms of marginalization of women laborers at Damai Jaya Lestari Company. In analyzing the data, it used theories of feminism, gender relation, and power relation. To find out the relevant data, the study used participant observation, interview, and documentation. The result of the study shows that the forms of marginalization of women laborers at Damai Jaya Lestari Company are unjustice of laborers recruitment, access of working, closed control of company, low wages, no assurance of health and work accident, bad work tool and facility, and double burden of women laborers. Those are also factors of marginalization of women laborers at Damai Jaya Lestari Company. Although the women laborer get the job in public sectors and has contribution to the family prosperity, it can not change the paradigm of patriarchal culture in the social and culture system of Wiwirano society in North Konawe, including at Damai Jaya Lestari company. Key words: marginalization, women laborer, oil palm industry. INTRODUCTION The plantage of oil palm gives economically the profit for not only the company or government, but also the people living in the around of industry. The company needs many workers, either for professional workers or daily workers, like laborers. In the plantage, the participation of women can be seen from their role as field workers. Oil palm industry of Damai Jaya Lestari Company in Wiwirano District of North Konawe Regency has many workers for both men and women. The opinion of women that they are weaker and should be existed only in domestic area affects the women work status in the company. Their participation in E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 16 the company is less than men. The phenomenon creates several new problems. The pathriarchy culture also brings the women to work only in domestic or privat area and ignores their freedom to do competition in social or public areas. In other aspect, the most of women at PT Damai Jaya Lestari work only as daily worker. As the result, their income is less than the men laborers. Basically, the economy factor brings the women to work in public sector as hard laborer because their education level is low. As the result, they often get unjustify action and marginalization. The phenomena above like issues of gender, biology tendition, partriarchy culture brings the women laborers at oil palm industry of Damai Jaya Lestari Company in Wiwirano District of North Konawe Regency undergo marginalization. Whereas, the women laborers have important role. The problem needs studies to decrease the gender deviation because it can create the bad action to the women, children, either for physic or mental hardness. This study is hoped become basic investigation in cultural studies as placement of women laborers in public sector. Therefore, the study of “Marginalization of Women Laborers at Oil Palm Industry of Damai Jaya Lestari Company in Wiwirano District of North Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi is very important and relevant to be conducted. This study focuses on the forms of marginalization of women laborers at Industry of Damai Jaya Lestari Company in Wiwirano District of North Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi. Significantly, this study gives contribution theoretically to the improving the science and knowledge about women laborers at oil palm industry. Practically, this study has advantages for as follows (1) government, it can be used to determine or made the suitable wisdom or rule about the women laborers at plantage; (2) other people can concern and give good attention to the women laborers; and (3) as reference for other relevant studies. This study uses the theories of feminism, gender relation, and power relation. Ritzer (2011: 403-404) states that feminism theory is a generalization of various opinions about social life and human experience that is developed from women center perspective. This theory focuses on the women in three aspects. First, the focuses of its study are women condition and experience in the society life. Second, in the study process, women become “central”; it means that investigating the world from the women point of view. Third, this theory was developed by critics thinker and activists to create the better life for women. Moreover, Fakih (2013: 6) defines feminism as awaraness and action that is caused by the assumption of that the women have been exploitated and marginalized, and an effort to end the exploitation and marginalization. E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 17 The feminism theory is idea system that is generalized that involve many aspects of social life and women experience. The essence of humanism theory is against toward any form of colonialization, domination, hegemony, unjustify, and radicalism. The second theory is gender relation. The gender refers to the role of men and women that is socially constructed. The difference of sex and biology is the nature from The God. Gender is the difference between men and women through social and culture process (Istibsyaroh, 2004: 59). In gender concept, men and women develop as adult human with specific values and characteristics that involve (1) reflexion the importance of seperation between men and women and (2) function to culturize the men and weaken the women in patriarchy society (Tong, 2010: 224). Basically, the identity of gender can explained in three psychology theories, they are Freud’s Psycho-analysis theory, socialization theory, and cognitive development theory (Nugroho: 2008: 54). The third theory which is used in this study is power relation. The idea of power is the main or key of the Foucault’s phylosophy view. Foucault believes that there are many powers or strengths in the human relation. Those powers or strengths are found in several aspects of human relation, relation of human and environment, and relation of human and their condition (Beoang, 1997:50-51). According Foucault, the power or strength is always actualized through the knowledge, and the knowledge has power effect. The knowledge is the basic for power. Besides, the power are builded by the economy aspect and thruth discourse. The knowledge is not out of the power relation, but rather than in the power relation itself. The power produces the knowledge. There is not any power without knowledge, and vice versa there is not any knowledge without power. The Foucault’s concept brings the consequence that to know the power, it needs study about knowledge production based on the power. Each power is arranged, kept, and realized or actualized through knowledge and certain discourse. The certain discourse creates the certain truth and knowledge, that has power effect. This definition is more used by the historian and experts in politic and social life (Haryatmoko, 2002:10). RESEARCH METHOD This study was conducted in qualitative design. Qualitative study is a method with descriptively interpretation way (Ratna, 2010:48). The data collected through observation, interview, and documentation. According Nasution (2007: 56) that to get good data, it should be done in three ways, namely observation, interview, and documentation. The data from E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 18 observation can be supported by data from interviewing. Interview method was realized by face speaking technique. Interview method was used to obtain detailed information or explanation concerning the marginalization of women laborers. In this way, it was expected that the interview could be fluently and flexibly carried out, and that it was not boring. Documentation study also can add other information and support for both data which are obtained from observation and interview. Ratna (2010: 235) states that the particular characteristic of documentation study is refer to past activity, with main function as note or evidence of event, activity, and certain condition. In this present study, the data were continually analyzed while the study was being conducted through three lanes of activities; they are (1) data reduction, (2) data presentation, and (3) data interpretation and conclusion drawing (Miles and Habermas, 1992: 89). According to Wuisman (2013: 32), the interpretative analysis essentially describes again the defining system already collectively developed by the members of a group of people applicable to them. Data reduction is the process to summarize the notes in the field by choosing only the main points and concern to the issues of marginalization of women laborers at oil palm industry of Damai Jaya Lestari company. The summarizes were arranged systematically in order to get good and clear interpretation description. By using the concepts, theories, and method used in this study, it can identify, classify, select, and analyze the information or data which has been collected in the field. The data concerns to marginalization of women laborers at oil palm industry of Damai Jaya Lestari company. The collected data was interpreted and concluded by giving meaning based on the social facts. RESULT AND DISCUSSION There are many women laborers at oil palm industry of Damai Jaya Lestari Company in Wiwirano District of North Konawe Regency. Most of them work in the afdeling. The company was build to recruit many workers in Wiwirano District of North Konawe Regency, so it can increase the prosperity of Wiwirano’s society. However, it is different with the real condition. Many women laborers who work in the company get marginalization or unjustify action. The women laborers often do complaint to the company about their rights. The complaints concern to the issues of gender and ignoreing to the women roles. Although the women laborer get the job in public sectors and has contribution to the family prosperity, it E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 19 can not change the paradigm of patriarchal culture in the social and culture system of Wiwirano society in North Konawe, including at Damai Jaya Lestari company. The forms of marginalization of women laborers at Damai Jaya Lestari Company are unjustice of laborers recruitment, access of working, closed control of company, low wages, no assurance of health and work accident, bad work tool and facility, and double burden of women laborers. The explanation of each form can be seen in the illustration below. Based on the observation and result of interview, there is difference of men and women in the recruitment of workers, mainly in the afdeling. The women laborers who work in the afdeling do non get the work contract, while men laborers get it. Basides, the position the women laborers in the oil palm plantage or afdeling is put based on their education level. The positions include garden manager, factory manager, factory assistent, traction assistent, heavy equipment measurement, foreman, and daily workers. Those positions are given to laborers who have experience or suitable education background. The most important is how the company can place the workers with high quality based on their major and be responsible to the duties given by the company. The quality planning is very important since increasing the work performance in personalia management can create increasing of product and minimize the operational costs (Sulistiyani, 2009:103). The planning is should be maintained since it is basic process to choose aims and determine the target (Siswanto, 2013:42). Recruitment to men workers is more prominent than recruitment to the women workers. Therefore, Damai Jaya Lestari company has more men laborers than women laborers. The phenomenon occurs since the men are stronger than women. Fakih (2004: 17) states that the position of men is higher or stronger than women, so the role of men is larger or higher than the role of women. The forms of marginalization toward women laborers in the recruitment aspect involves the work contract is not given to the women laborers, recruitment of men workers is more prominent than women workers, and there is not any work training. The work contract at oil palm industry of Damai Jaya Lestari Company only given to the laborers who fulfill certain criteria. Damai Jaya Lestari Company has two work contract models, namely written work contract and oral or unwritten work contract. Based on the result of interview, the workers, mainly for women laborers do not get written work contact. They get only unwritten work contract as laborers. This phenomenon is not good for women laborers and they can be stopped as laborers suddenly. This condition is often undergone by the women laborers who work in the afdeling. E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 20 Istibsyaroh (2004: 3) states that in the feminism view, the classification of work based on sex gives the disadvantages not only for women workers but also it is not relevant to the modern life since men and women have same opportunities and potentions to access various profession sectors. The women laborers usually get unstandard work burden and their work or duties in the company always changing. Their work burden always changes everyday. Besides, they do not get reward if they work in overtime-work or reach over their target. Even, the company does not prepare or provide the work tool and facility for the laborers. The laborers, mainly the women workers should provide the work tools by theirselves. Although the women laborers have worked at the company in several years, they never get any reward, and even they often get marginalization actions. The company does not build facility to support the work in the afdeling, like toilet or dermatory for laborers. It is very poor for women laborers, mainly when they want to do urinat or loosen the bowels. The condition is not difficult for men laborers because they can look for and do urinat and loosen the bowels in many places, like under the tree or near the river. It is different to the women laborers, they feel difficult to do like the men. However, the women laborers be forced to do urinat and loosen the bowels like the men laborers since there is not any toilet in the afdeling and their house from afdeling (the place where they work) is very far about 4-10 km. The women laborers also get marginalization action in the access of working and closed control of company. The women laborers are not given opportunity os space to know the condition or information about the company. Besides, they are not permitted to ask leave, mainly for women laborers who work in the afdeling. They also get full control and are not permitted to take a rest before the work target reached. In other words, the management system that is applied in Damai Jaya Lestari Company harm the women laborers. The women laborers think that the rule of management system of the company really ignores their right as laborers. For example, the women laborers are not permitted to do complaint. They can not express their idea or opinion toward the company. Even, the company is very closed to their laborers and society. There is not access for laborers to give expression or positive input related to the development of company. Most of women who work at Damai Jaya Lestari Company are daily worker. They just work in the afdeling. Afdeling is plantage location that function as area to seeding, plantage, care, and harvest of oil palm. The women are only placed in the afdeling since their education E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 21 is elementary school level. The condition brings the social conflict between women and men laborers. In this case, if the women laborers do mistakes although not significant fault, they get big problem. They have lower status than the men. So, the women laborers have to work harder and more dilligent. Unfortunately, although the women laborer have worked maximally and give more contributions to the company, it can not change the paradigm about the weakness of women in social and culture system of Wiwirano society and at Damai Jaya Lestari Company. Based on the result of interview and analysis, it is found that there is long space between the company direction and laborers. The company with its power has high or full authority to behave the laborers. The laborers are forced to work in any condition in order they can reach the target. The control of work is done by the supervisor or foremen or assistent. The foremen or assistent always create the unfresh or uncomfortable condtion for the laborers, mainly for women laborers. As the result, the women laborers usually work under high pressure. The condition occurs since there is not good communication between the company and the laborers. Marginalization of women laborers also occurs on wages and work burden aspects. The difficult to get suitable job, the women are forced to work in public sector to fulfill their economy needs. With this condition, they decided to work although get low wage and unsuitable with their work. Suratiyah, et. all (1996: 19) states that the restrictiveness of women in education, experience and skill, work opportunity, and ideology factor bring the women to work in low wage. The condition often brings the women to be marginalized and exploitated. The condition is often undergone by the women laborers at Damai Jaya Lestari Company since the low of their education level and quality. As a result, the wage of men laborers are higher than women laborers. Other factor is the women laborers are not difficult to be ordered and they have high dependence to the men and company. Double burden of women who work in both domestic and public sectors also brings them to be more marginalized. Based on the result of interview found that there is difference between the wage for men laborers and women laborers at Damai Jaya Lestari Company. The laborers who work and reach over the target get additional or intensive wage, except for the women workers. In other words, although the women work and reach over the target, they do not get additional or intensive wage. This is the real marginalization toward the women laborers. The women are viewed and supposed as marginal or not main worker. So, although getting the low wage, they receive it. Commonly, they are forced to work because of family economy need demand. E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 22 The income of husband is not enough for their family needs. The costs of needs are increasing, while the wage is not always increasing (Suratiyah, et. All., 1996: 16). The women laborers also get marginalization in the aspects of health, reproduction, and work accident. The women laborers in Damai Jaya Lestari Company are not given assurance of health and work accident. The Company supposes that the reproduction health in the women laborers is something natural. Besides, the company was not responsible for work accident since the accident is the careless action of the workers itself. Even, the company did not give care help or medicine to the workers who get accident work. The workers have to finance all care and medicine costs by theirselves. In this case, the company did not give assurance of health and work accident, mainly for women laborers. The company did not give tolerance or compesation for women laborers who are being pregnant, menstrubation, puerperal and feeding. They have to work to get salary. If they ask for leave, the company did not give them salary and even the women laborers are not permitted more to work again in the company. Based on the illustration above, it can be stated that the company did not give assurance for health and work accident to the women laborers. It can be seen from there is not leave right for women laborers who are being pregnant or menstrubation. While, based on the Labor Rules on chapter 81 stated that “the women laborers who are getting menstrubation and feel very pain can inform to the company, and they are not obligated to work in the first and second days from their menstrubation. The attention to health and work safe is very important and should be more prominent. CONCLUSIONS AND SUUGESTIONS Based on the result of this study, some conclusions and suggestions can be drawn as follows. First, the economy factor brings the women to work in public sector as hard laborer because their education level is low. Second, the forms of marginalization of women laborers at Damai Jaya Lestari Company consists of unjustice of laborers recruitment, access of working, closed control of company, low wages, no assurance of health and work accident, bad work tool and facility, and double burden of women laborers. Third, it needs gender socialization in order the women can keep and get their rights as good workers, so there is not any marginalization of women. Fourth, it needs reward improvement for the workers who can reach over the work target. Fifth, it needs the improvement of work contract. Sixth, socialization of the importance of education and skill should be done. Last, it needs E-Journal of Cultural Studies May 2018 Vol. 11, Number 2, Page 15-23 DOAJ Indexed (Since 14 Sep 2015) ISSN 2338-2449 https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/ecs/ 23 socialization and training for workers concerning the health and work accident in order to create the save work environment, particularly for women laborers. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors would like to thank to the Cultural Faculty of Halu Oleo University and Doctoral Program of Cultural Studies of Udayana University for giving permission and help in this project, and all who contributed so much of their time and ideas for the improvement of this paper. 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