Govt told to ratify convention on migrant workers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Labor unions have called on the government to
\nratify the international convention on the protection and rights
\nof all migrant workers and their families to help safeguard
\nIndonesian migrants working overseas.<\/p>\n
Wahyu Susilo, the chairman of the Consortium for the Advocacy
\nof Indonesian Migrant Workers (Kopbumi), said Indonesia urgently
\nneeded to ratify the UN convention due to modern-day slavery that
\nis prevalent among Indonesian workers overseas.<\/p>\n
\"The UN convention could be used as a legal foundation by the
\ngovernment to consider a law on the protection of Indonesian
\nmigrant workers and their families overseas,\" he said, responding
\nto the World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa,
\nwhich ended on Sept. 7.<\/p>\n
Wahyu, who was also in the Indonesian delegation to the
\nconference, said issues on migrant workers gained serious
\nattention at the week-long meeting on the grounds that
\ndiscrimination and torture against migrant workers from Asia and
\nAfrica were rampant.<\/p>\n
\"Besides the convention on migrant workers, the conference
\nalso recommended that Asian and African countries ratify the
\nconvention against transnational-organized crime and protocol to
\nprevent, suppress and punish trafficking of people, especially
\nwomen,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The convention on migrant workers stipulates that both labor
\nexport countries and labor import countries should make a
\nbilateral agreement to provide maximum protection. It also
\nguarantees migrant workers' rights for freedom of union,
\ninformation and safety in the workplace.<\/p>\n
Wahyu lambasted the government's double standards on migrant
\nworkers and labor exporters who mostly treat workers as trade
\ncommodities, which he said partly led to the prevalent torture of
\nIndonesian workers overseas.<\/p>\n
\"So far, the government has yet to enact any law that treats
\nmigrant workers as human assets instead of a trade commodity. The
\ngovernment has not taken any action against labor exporters found
\nguilty of trading children and women to international
\nsyndicates,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The consortium's data shows that the number of Indonesian
\nmigrant workers who died or were killed in Malaysia, Singapore
\nand Saudi Arabia reached 29 between January and August of this
\nyear, with 82 others tortured and over 4,500 running away from
\nemployers in Taiwan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Ariest Merdeka Sirait, the coordinator for the Legal Advocacy
\nand Information System for Workers (Sisbikum), concurred, saying
\nthat Indonesia was classified as one of the major Asian countries
\nsupplying workers overseas.<\/p>\n
\"Some two million Indonesian workers, mostly women, are
\nworking overseas despite the absence of bilateral agreements with
\ncountries employing Indonesian workers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ariest called on the government to take a lesson from the
\nPhilippines on how the neighboring country treats its migrant
\nworkers by providing protection to those encountering trouble
\noverseas.<\/p>\n
\"We have long treated our workers as the subject of extortion,
\nfrom when they leave their home village until they return home
\nagain,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A. Munir, the chairman of the Legal Aid Foundation for Migrant
\nWorkers (LPBH TKI), said the inhumane treatment of migrant
\nworkers at home and overseas had something to do with the absence
\nof laws guaranteeing workers' rights and protection from the
\ngovernment and labor exporters.<\/p>\n
\"We have frequently reported labor exporters violating
\nregulations on supplying workers overseas but no actions were
\ntaken against them,\" Munir said.<\/p>\n
He said the government must take tough measures against labor
\nexporters who poorly treat migrant workers and fail to provide
\nthem with protection.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, the government should improve labor cooperation with
\ncountries employing a large number of Indonesian workers,\" Munir
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the majority of Indonesian workers were employed in
\nMalaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Qatar, Oman,
\nTaiwan and Hong Kong. (rms)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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