Govt does not help migrant workers to compete abroad<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The low quality of human resources, the constant changes in the
\nofficial procedures and mostly, the absence of a strong political
\ncommitment from the government have greatly contributed to the
\ncountry's failure to compete with other countries in the export
\nof laborers.<\/p>\n
Since the labor export program was launched by former labor
\nminister Sudomo in 1982, dozens of ministerial decrees have been
\nissued in attempts to alter the procedures for sending workers
\noverseas.<\/p>\n
Since 1982, the country has had five labor ministers and each
\nhad his own policy, apparently without any intention to maintain
\na permanent system, raising confusion both among the workers and
\nlabor exporters on the changing insurance schemes, training
\nprograms, document services, recruitment procedures and labor
\ncontracts.<\/p>\n
\"So far, the labor export system, starting from workers'
\nrecruitment to their employment overseas and their return is
\nstill very complicated. The complications cause rights abuses,
\ndeception and extortion of the workers,\" Yunus Yamani, a migrant
\nworker activist told The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said it had been quite unfortunate that workers had to deal
\nwith numerous problems once their recruitment began up through
\ntheir departure and still when they finally came home.<\/p>\n
\"So far, there is no permanent procedure of recruitment with
\nbanking support, insurance, certified training standards,
\nintegrated services for documentation, ILO-standardized labor
\ncontracts, a permanent remuneration system in countries and
\npermanent procedures for handling troubled workers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to the existing procedure, a job seeker who wants to
\nwork overseas, has to spend around Rp 20 million, ostensibly to
\npay for the recruitment fees and training fees to a labor broker
\nand a manpower supplying company (PJTKI), administrative fees for
\na labor passport, an insurance scheme and a plane ticket to the
\ncountry where he\/she will be employed.<\/p>\n
The changing procedures have also indicated an absence of
\ncommitment by the government to accelerate the development of the
\nlabor export sector.<\/p>\n
\"So far, the government has shown no intention of establishing
\na law on labor employment overseas, to take serious measures
\nagainst labor brokers, labor exporters and government officers
\nfound guilty of extorting workers, abusing them and deceiving
\nthem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Of the 467 manpower supply companies, less than 10 percent
\nhave their own training centers and dormitories while the
\nremaining 450-plus companies have their workers trained in other
\ntraining centers or send them without any training.<\/p>\n
In addition, the government has paid inadequate attention to
\nthe protection of workers employed overseas. So far, Indonesia
\nhas yet to endorse bilateral agreements with host countries
\nemploying Indonesian workers, in accordance with the
\nInternational Labor Organization (ILO) Convention on the
\nprotection of migrant workers. Besides being less than active,
\nIndonesia has only appointed labor attaches in Malaysia and the
\nSaudi Arabian cities of Riyadh and Jeddah.<\/p>\n
So far the government, the relevant ministries, the police and
\nthe Attorney General's office, have shown no willingness to do
\nanything about the illegal trade of workers and many end up
\ndeveloping troubles caused by their illegal status.<\/p>\n
Both President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Manpower Minister
\nJacob Nuwa Wea failed to show up in Malaysia last year when
\nMalaysian authorities were expelling hundreds of thousands of
\nillegal workers.<\/p>\n
Abdullah Umar, another labor activist, shared Yunus's opinion,
\nsaying all sides including the government, PJTKIs and overseas
\nemployers, should share the some of the blame for all the
\nproblems that workers have been facing overseas, but the main
\ncause was the low quality of the workers.<\/p>\n
\"Of around 4 million Indonesian workers employed in 13
\ncountries, 80 percent graduated from either elementary or high
\nschool and only 40 percent have any skills,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Unlike workers from the Philippines, Bangladesh and India,
\nmost Indonesian workers are employed as domestic helpers as they
\ncannot speak English or Arabic.<\/p>\n
\"Many workers have been abused or dismissed in the past
\nbecause they do not know about their rights or because they were
\nnot skilled. For example, a domestic helper did not even know how
\nto iron the family's clothes because she was never trained,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Former manpower minister Bomer Pasaribu concurred and said the
\ngovernment was doing little about improving the labor export
\nsituation which could help cope with the unemployment problems.<\/p>\n
\"Look at our leaders. They haven't voiced a single protest
\nabout the expulsion of Indonesian workers from that country
\n(Malaysia),\" said Bomer Pasaribu, a labor expert and a former
\nmanpower minister. \"I just don't think they are interested.\"<\/p>\n
I Gde Arke, director general for labor placement at the
\nManpower and Transmigration Ministry, said the government would
\ncontinue to review the ministerial decree on labor exportation.<\/p>\n
Manpower and Transmigration Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea said
\nrecently the government was preparing a draft law to provide
\nlegal protection for workers employed overseas and to regulate
\nthe whole business.<\/p>\n
Suryo Sumpeno, a labor activist from the Consortium for the
\nAdvocacy of Indonesian Migrant Workers (Kopbumi), said workers
\nneeded a law to protect them from abuse and impose harsher
\nsanctions against violators.<\/p>\n
Suryo said that fraud cases or extortion perpetrated by PJTKIs
\nto TKIs should be taken to court. \"So far, cases have been
\nsettled in the ministry's office. Sometimes PJTKIs extorting TKIs
\ngive their money back. But I don't think that's enough for them
\nto learn their lessons.\"<\/p>\n
Uday Djalaluddin, who has been in the migrant worker business
\nsince the 1990s, said he did not turn a deaf ear to the hardships
\nand injustice endured by Indonesian migrant workers (TKI).<\/p>\n
\"I think, TKIs deserve better protection,\" said Uday, a
\ndirector and owner of a migrant worker supplier (PJTKI).<\/p>\n
He added that TKIs brought a lot of foreign exchange earnings,
\nbut instead of receiving adequate protection and recognition,
\nthey drew much attention from vultures who wanted to cash in from
\ntheir hard labor.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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