Domestics helpers face danger at home and abroad<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of women leave the country everyday to
\ntry their luck abroad as domestic helpers. The difficulties in
\nfinding jobs here and the large salaries offered by employment
\nagencies has motivated them to travel as far as Singapore, Hong
\nKong, Taiwan and Middle Eastern countries.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, a domestic helper earns between Rp 50,000
\n(US$6.25) and Rp 200,000 per month, depending on their experience
\nand the mercy of their employers. But if they work abroad, they
\ncan make about Rp 3 million per month, which is more than some
\nyoung professional's salaries here.<\/p>\n
Data from the Ministry of Manpower shows that last year more
\nthan 380,000 Indonesians left the country to work overseas,
\nearning some $1.25 billion. About 60 percent of them became
\ndomestic workers.<\/p>\n
As they generate quite a lot of money, the government has
\ngiven them the title \"heroes of foreign exchange\". To show its
\nappreciation, the government provided them with Terminal Three at
\nSoekarno-Hatta International Airport. This special terminal,
\ninaugurated by President B.J. Habibie on Aug. 31, is operated to
\nprotect returning workers from extortion and swindling at the
\nairport, which has been happening for years.<\/p>\n
It was at this terminal where Romlah, 30, arrived last month.
\nShe brought with her some jewelry and Rp 10 million in cash,
\nwhich she earned during her three years in Saudi Arabia. Being
\ncautious, she kept the cash in her underwear.<\/p>\n
However, \"at the airport, several men in brown uniforms herded
\nme in a room and confiscated all my documents,\" she said. Worse,
\nshe, along with some other workers, were told to get into a
\nKijang van. After about an hours drive, the vehicle stopped and
\nthe women were taken into a house, where Romlah saw between 15
\nand 20 other women. They were all stripped off and were forced to
\nhand over their money and jewelry. Romlah was finally taken to
\nthe town of Karawang, West Java, from where she later went home
\nto her village by a motorbike taxi.<\/p>\n
Her tragic story was told by Salma Safitri, an activist at the
\nDivision of Migrant Workers' Advocation at the Women's Solidarity
\nfor Human Rights.<\/p>\n
\"We can't follow up the matter legally because we have no
\nevidence. We could do so if we could find the other 15 or 20
\nwomen who went through the same experience, but how can we locate
\nthem?\" Safitri said.<\/p>\n
She also complained about the authorities which blame each
\nother and refuse to be responsible in the matter.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Directorate General of Immigration
\nMursanuddin A. Ghani denied any involvement of immigration
\nofficials in the abuse of migrant workers. \"I've never heard such
\nreports,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris is aware of the continuing
\nexploitation of the returning migrant workers at the airport. He
\nsaid last month that the ministry was trying to seek a solution
\nto the problems in cooperation with the police and other
\ngovernment institutions.<\/p>\n
\"But of course we can't solve the problems quickly, we need
\ntime,\" he said. He also alleged that some employees of the
\nairport authority might be involved in the offenses.<\/p>\n
In an effort to improve conditions for migrant workers,
\nearlier this month Director General of Labor Placement Din
\nSyamsuddin issued a letter to the Association of Labor Placement
\nAgencies, reminding them that they should not confiscate the
\nworkers' passports.<\/p>\n
The manpower ministry estimated that about 10 percent of the
\nmigrant workers were unfortunate.<\/p>\n
Hair-raising stories about the abuse of house maids, ranging
\nfrom unpaid salaries and long working hours to beatings, rapes
\nand suicides, do not deter the women.<\/p>\n
In the Sixth Five-Year Development Program, from April 1, 1994
\nto March 31, 1999, the number of migrant workers was 1.46 million
\nwith earnings of $4.18 billion, which means that each fiscal year
\nsaw an average of less than 300,000 overseas workers.<\/p>\n
From the period of April 1 to July 31 this year, the number of
\nmigrant workers was at 207,079 with generated foreign exchange
\nrevenues of $395.9 million.<\/p>\n
At present an average of 1,600 workers leave the country every
\nday from 15 embarkation terminals. Most of them leave from
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
But there is also an increase in the cases of abuse, which can
\nsometimes end in the worker's death. This year, about 70 workers
\ndied in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
The abuse of migrant workers is an old story. It has been
\nhappening since the labor export program started in 1983, not
\nonly in the Middle East, but also in other places. Last month two
\nIndonesian maids in Singapore fell to their deaths from highrise
\nbuildings while cleaning apartment windows.<\/p>\n
The government has repeatedly voiced its concern over the fate
\nof Indonesian migrant workers, who are mostly poorly educated.
\nThe manpower ministry, for example, has been calling on labor
\nplacement agencies to do their job well and to take
\nadministrative sanctions against some delinquent agencies. But
\nthings do not seem to be improving.<\/p>\n
On the assault by employers, Din Syamsuddin once said that it
\ncould happen because the workers are not capable of doing their
\njobs. Employers could become disappointed and upset, which could
\nlead to violence against the workers.<\/p>\n
Returning migrant workers are often extorted from and cheated
\nby people who offer services to take them home. Why would they
\naccept such offers? They know they should never trust strangers.<\/p>\n
A domestic helper told Minister Fahmi, in a dialog with
\nmigrant workers recently, that a police officer at the Semarang
\nairport took her check of Rp 45 million, which she earned after
\nworking for seven years in Riyadh.<\/p>\n
The minister, urging the audience to learn from her
\nexperience, told them to use banking services. He pledged to
\nprovide better legal protection for the workers. He has kept his
\npromise with the opening of the new terminal. However, it has not
\nbeen operating as expected.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, there are more opportunities to abuse the workers in
\nthe new terminal, which is exclusively designed for migrant
\nworkers, because there is no control from the public,\" Safitri
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Instead of receiving better treatment at the new terminal, the
\nworkers, suffer more because the terminal is far from
\ncomfortable. It lacks facilities such as an information center, a
\nproper waiting room, an adequate number of toilets and a
\nreasonable amount of public phones.<\/p>\n
\"If the government is serious, then there are two things to
\ndo: empower the workers and take strict action against the
\nabusers.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, the exploitation will continue,\" said Safitri.
\n(sim)<\/p>",
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