East Asian nations agree to protect RI workers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governments in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong
\nhave agreed to formally provide legal protection to Indonesians
\nworking in their countries, a senior official of the Ministry of
\nManpower said.<\/p>\n
Suwarto, director general for Industrial Relations and Labor
\nStandards, told The Jakarta Post this week that the three East
\nAsian countries have accepted a proposal to draw up standard
\nworking contracts for Indonesian workers employed there.<\/p>\n
\"Under these contracts, the position of our workers will be
\nclearer and stronger, vis-a-vis employers and employment agencies
\nwho recruit them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The principle agreements were secured during a recent visit by
\nMinister of Manpower Abdul Latief to the three countries which,
\ntogether, employ about 27,000 Indonesians -- 7,000 in South
\nKorea, 6,000 in Taiwan and 13,000 in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Suwarto, who accompanied the minister on the tour, said that
\nthe official delegation also met with Indonesian workers in those
\ncountries to discuss some of the problems they are encountering.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has already signed such an agreement with Malaysia
\nand Saudi Arabia, two major destinations for Indonesian workers.<\/p>\n
The contract with Saudi Arabia details the rights and
\nobligations of Indonesian workers and their employers, while the
\none with Malaysia reaffirms that Indonesian workers are protected
\nunder the Malaysian labor laws.<\/p>\n
Suwarto said the standard working contracts for South Korea,
\nTaiwan and Hong Kong will stipulate workers' rights, the minimum
\nwages that they are paid, labor standards and the rights and
\nobligations of workers as stipulated in their labor laws.<\/p>\n
The contracts are virtually a formality because Indonesian
\nworkers in those three countries are already protected by the
\nlocal labor laws, and are not discriminated against, he said.<\/p>\n
However, they will still be a valuable document to contain the
\nproblems of Indonesian workers being abused by their foreign
\nemployers. Several cases of abuse against Indonesian domestic
\nhelpers in Hong Kong have been reported in recent years.<\/p>\n
In terms of salary, Suwarto said most Indonesian workers in
\nHong Kong receive about HK$5,000 a month (Rp 1.5 million), which
\nis higher than the HK$3,750 set as the minimum wage level. \"They
\nalso work set hours and get one day off each week,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Most Indonesian workers in Taiwan are employed in
\nmanufacturing industries and some as house maids. In South Korea,
\nthe majority are employed as trainees in local manufacturing
\ncompanies. (rms)<\/p>",
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