Friday, August 3, 2018 at around 17:20 we together with the chairman of the Bargain Garden
Workers' Union (SBKS) Ipen and his representative Mr. Frans, went to the house of Mrs. Atoyu
Makarina to meet with her husband who was sick.
Based on reports from Ms. Toyu during a meeting of oil palm plantation workers in Setawar
Hamlet, Setawar Village, Sekadau Hulu District, Sekadau District, West Kalimantan. He told of
the situation of her husband who was poisoned by pesticides but there was no accountability from
the company. Ms. Toyu's husband works as a laborer at PT.Agro Andalan which is part of the
PT. Dharma Satya Nusantara group.
Ms. Toyu's husband, Mr. Talis Yohanes, began working in the company in 2013. At the beginning
of his work he was placed in the manual or cutting care department for two months later in the
same year 2013 he was transferred to the spraying section without being given PPE (personal
protective equipment) and K3. Around 2014 he suffered a work accident, was exposed to
pesticides (a chemical liquid used for oil palm maintenance). The initial indication of pesticide
poisoning because the Kept (tube) used by him leaked causing the pesticide liquid to spill and hit
the back even inhaled.
The back of the body directly exposed to the pesticide then slowly burns his skin and peels off, in
that condition he still forces himself to continue his work. The friction between kept (tube) carried
while working with the skin exposed to the pesticide eventually causes bleeding and forces Mr.
Yohanes not to continue his work. He reported to the foreman and asked permission and assistance
to be able to return home and go to the doctor as soon as possible, there was a quarrel between the foreman and Mr. Yohanes, the foreman said that he did not work and lazy because he asked for permission to go home, the foreman then brought Mr. Yohanes home but he not delivered to his
house but left in a stall in the oil palm plantation area (incidentally the stall owner is the neighbor's
son of Pak Yohanes), the son of the shop owner who then takes the late Mr. Yohanes to his
residence. Arriving at home, his wife Ms. Atoyu panicked at the condition of her husband, he
looked like someone who almost fainted and was even difficult to tell due to the pain of the injuries
suffered by him.
Because Pak Yohanes had a work accident and had to go home, the foreman only calculated half
a day's wages. The family then took Mr. Yohanes to the clinic (Doctor Livinus Rinto; when he
was confirmed he said the same thing based on the medical record held by him) which was not far
from the intersection of Kayu Lapis Sekadau to get treatment. Treatment given only handles
external wounds. After recovering, Mr. Yohanes returned to work.
Even though the external wound has been healed but the impact of the indication of poisoning due
to inhaling pesticides, is still considered by the family. Based on the story of Mr. Yohanes's wife
and child, signs of initial poisoning in his throat were red and growing spots on the base of the
tongue that felt hot. The family thinks thrush so that the treatment is only given Lasegar and Adem Sari drinks. After weeks of not recovering even worse until finally Mr. John had difficulty eating,
the family only gave porridge.
In 2016, due to prolonged illness forced him to stop working. Mr. Yohanes, who had been a source of livelihood for the family, had to stop due to the illness he was suffering from, on the basis of financial considerations, finally the family asked the company to hire Miss Atoyu to replace
Pak Yohanes who worked in the Spraying division. The pain suffered by Pak Yohanes became
worse, the family then took him to the village healer but there was no progress. Mr. Yohanes is
unable to do many activities, just lie down and sleep. Then the family took him to the Sekadau
Regional General Hospital. According to family statement, the doctor at the Sekadau General
Hospital stated that the father indicated that he had poisoning and that the poison had hit the lungs
and some of the liver was also exposed to toxins.
In May 2018 the family brought Mr. Yohanes back to the Sekadau Regional General Hospital, the
hospital then referred Mr. Yohanes to the Sudarso Hospital in Pontianak. Sudarso hospital doctors
explained that indications of toxic gases exposed to the lungs and liver settle and then turn into
cancer. Doctors recommend continuing treatment in Jakarta, but the family feels inadequate
because the costs needed are not small. The family decides to take it home and then be treated at
home. Upon returning from the hospital the family bought 8 bottles of IV because Pak Yohanes
could not eat. The infusion was carried out by Susi midwife who served in the village. Of the 8
infusions, 6 infusions were used, in addition to the feeling of despair that prompted him to refuse
to be infused, it was also caused by pain felt by him and his body refused so that the infusion could not enter through the reduced pulse.
The last two months (July - August 2018) then Mr. Yohanes's condition was getting worse. He
could not speak because he could not open his mouth even with the help of his wife. The absence
of adequate nutritional intake, lack of costs, makes the family resign. Based on the recognition of
Mr. Yohanes's wife and children the costs incurred during treatment reached tens of millions.
When he took outpatient care, the costs that had to be spent to redeem the medicine at the pharmacy were to spend at least 500 thousand rupiahs.
The family (the first daughter of Mr. Yohanes) once asked for accountability & assistance
from the company by bringing Pak Yohanes's receipt for treatment but was refused on the
grounds that the receipt was invalid because it only contained a signature without a stamp.
When confirmed, what kind of stamp and legal form do you mean? the company also does
not provide any explanation, it then makes the family disappointed.
On August 20, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., he breathed his last breath at his residence. The deceased
was buried in the Pengansah village cemetery in Tapang Perodah village.
The death of Mr. Talis Yohanes, gave us a lesson that starting from the toxic indication of pesticides to the cause of death, Cancer could be irrelevant if it is directly connected with PT.Agro Andalan (DSN), but the responsibilities, obligations, protection, fulfillment of inherent rights to him as a worker who works at PT.Agro Andalan (DSN) is not fulfilled and this is done by a large corporation that has previously obtained a permit and its
operations are supervised by the state with terms and conditions that prioritize Labor Rights & Welfare and Security Guarantee at the time Working, this is what then becomes the focal point of the violation, because it is carried out systematically by PT.Agro Andalan (DSN).
Starting from the beginning of entering and working and without training and work equipment that does not meet the standards until the time of the disaster that befell the deceased, there is no concrete form of responsibility even the majority of the rights that should be obtained by the late Mr.Yohanes if referring to the provisions law, Terms, Law, is not fulfilled by the company.
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