Consultant for Promoting Social Dialogue For Worker Issue In The Seafood Sector (INT6475)

BACKGROUND

Asia is home of seafood producer in the world that more than 70% of its supply has coming from this region. Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are countries that lead in producing seafood around the world where many companies have been operating to produce mostly unsustainable products, facing of series of worker’s rights violation, treatment their worker unfair and putting workers in risk, suffered and danger condition.

Indonesia puts seafood sector as one of its main commodities to export. Seafood contributes 8% of total GDP in 2016 and targeted the US as biggest landing country, followed by the Japan, Europe, China. Based on Ministry of Marine and Maritime Affairs (MMAF), Indonesia has produced 6.1 million tons in 2016 and it has growing up to 6.9 million tons in two years after. The valuation of shrimp commodity in 2015 was equivalent to USD 1.3 billion furthermore it seems promising to increase in coming years after.

In current seafood value chain, power of retailers or supermarkets, particularly in the northern countries have significantly increased. Supermarkets have captured biggest benefit among the chain when at the same time small-scale seafood producer, such as farmers and workers have been declining their shared profit.[1] The said above inequality must be ended. However, CSOs and labor organizations are key actor to tackle of imbalance power to create better live of small-scale food producer, especially women workers at the seafood processing industry.

CSOs have been successfully in engaging to the retailers and now is aiming to raise awareness of consumers to demand more sustainable seafood consumption. The primary missing element of all seafood related influencing strategies in Asia going in to 2018 had been the lack of significant engagement of seafood trader/ supplier/ processor companies or big retail chains which wield extensive influence over the seafood trader/ supplier/ processor companies to correct systemic injustices in their supply chains.

Involved CSOs have traditionally focused on community mobilization and local government advocacy and are insufficiently able to influence the large seafood trader/ supplier/ processor companies they encounter. CSOs and labor organization should identify strategy and strengthen their collaboration to enhance efforts to improve working condition as well as protection of worker’s rights. Hence opportunity to influence company together with government is a necessarily to be created.

In the long-term perspective a sustainable investment in the seafood sector could not ignore social aspect, especially in the worker’s right element that along with economic purpose. Building a social dialogue among stakeholders in the seafood sector is very relevant to do as part of strategy to tackle of worker’s issue to be deliberated to other stakeholders. Oxfam is requiring consultant to facilitate series of dialogue that involving various stakeholders.

Oxfam is using more dialogue based on solution approach for business to promote our aim to improve worker’s rights. Referring to this strategy Oxfam puts private sector as potential actor to collaborate as well as CSOs. Government is also identified as key stakeholder to responsible in ensuring worker’s rights protected.

As part of programmatic approach Oxfam in Indonesia has been working in partnership with CSOs to support women worker, improving their rights, working condition through engaging with companies. This is under the Right to Food (RTF) Project that will be ended this year. By end of 2020, we are aiming for at least two targeted companies to made policy commitments and practices to fairly compensate women producers for the effort, their work, passion, working condition, occupational and health safety, social policy program, care and love they put into their processing system.

In the current intervention Oxfam together with partners have fruitful outcomes while working with private sector. Companies have been more open to dialogue and had willingness to work together to improve basic principle to adopt worker’s rights and promoting more economic empowerment to small-scale food producers.

In upcoming period Oxfam needs to accelerate achievements through intensify influence, engagement and lobby based on influencing agenda to both companies and government institutions. We need to observe shifting strategy through partnership business model in the future and perhaps through facilitation process of this consultancy Oxfam has identified allies to work on similar vision in our seafood sector.

Along with that, we perhaps to raise more awareness about inclusive seafood industry that respecting human rights as top of consideration in the business processing model. Oxfam then requires a consultant—could be a person or team—to conduct facilitation process and mapping out potential ally from CSOs either private sector.

OBJECTIVES

This consultancy is needed to do some key objectives as explained below:

• Provide insight and analysis over current worker’s issue in Indonesia.
• Facilitation social dialogue among CSOs, labour organisation, private sector as well as government related to worker’s right, particularly in seafood sector in Indonesia.
• Mapping, assess and recommend potential allies to strengthening works on the seafood sector of Oxfam in Indonesia.

OUTPUT

• Conducting 2 times social dialogues involving key stakeholders.
• A report consists of mapping and recommendation potential allies for strengthening seafood works in Indonesia.

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

How to apply  

As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and a covering letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile or send your CV and a covering letter to HRJakarta@oxfam.org.uk