JP\/4\/TKI<\/p>\n
Law, bilateral agreements urgent for migrant workers<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The enactment of a law protecting migrant workers in receiving
\ncountries is much more urgently needed than the recently signed
\njoint ministerial decree to set up advocacy teams overseas,
\nobservers said.<\/p>\n
Wahyu Susilo of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection
\nCommittee (Kopbumi) and former manpower minister Bomer Pasaribu
\nwere referring to the joint decree signed by seven ministers on
\nthe establishment of advocacy teams abroad to help migrant
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
Wahyu said the plan was not feasible as there were simply not
\nenough team members to cater to the 1.2 million Indonesian
\nworkers employed in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait alone, according to
\nthe latest figures. Minister of Manpower Jacob Nuwa Wea said 80
\npeople would cater to some 800,000 workers in these countries,
\nthe main destinations for Indonesian workers in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
"Besides, even if the agreement says the teams are to be
\npartly financed by the existing protection fees paid by workers,
\nusually there are new levies imposed for every new scheme the
\ngovernment comes up with, Wahyu added. He also said the teams
\nshould not include representatives of the labor supply companies,
\nwhich have been widely identified as being part of the problem.
\nMany of these companies have been found to have sent workers
\nabroad illegally.<\/p>\n
On Monday, seven ministers -- Coordinating Minister for
\nPeoples' Welfare Jusuf Kalla, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan
\nWirayuda, Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Al-Munawar,
\nMinister for Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Soemaryoto, Minister
\nof Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and Minister of
\nCommunications Agum Gumelar, as well as Minister Jacob -- signed
\nthe decree.<\/p>\n
According to the article 2 of the decree, the teams, each
\nconsisting of four members, will be placed in cities abroad
\ndepending on the need.<\/p>\n
Wahyu pointed to a similar, well-meaning joint decree on
\nmigrant workers signed two years ago, which had failed to bring
\nabout any meaningful changes<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organizations such as Kopbumi have long been
\nurging the enactment of a law on migrant worker protection. Wahyu
\nalso said that bilateral agreements between Indonesia and
\nreceiving countries were urgently needed. Despite the setting up
\nof the advocacy teams, "in the absence of a law on migrant
\nworkers and bilateral agreements, the problems will not be
\ncapable of being resolved thoroughly," he explained<\/p>\n
Bomer Pasaribu, now a researcher on the manpower field,
\nreiterated his view that as "70 percent of the problems" related
\nto migrant workers stemmed from conditions within the country,
\nthe teams would likely be able to solve only some 30 percent of
\nthe problems.<\/p>\n
He said problems arose due to lack of care in the recruitment
\nof workers, lack of integrity on the part of many labor supply
\nfirms, and the extensive network of agencies and brokers which
\nwere responsible for many of the abuses perpetrated against
\nmigrant workers. The situation was compounded by the absence of a
\nspecific law.<\/p>\n
Duties of the advocacy teams according to Article 4 of the
\ndecree:
\n---------------------------------------------------------
\na. Providing protection and legal assistance, defending basic
\nrights.
\nb. Collecting data on migrant workers
\nc. Identifying the names and addresses of employers
\nd. Providing guidance for migrant workers
\ne. Providing counseling and representing workers facing problems
\nf. Helping to solve disputes between migrant workers and
\nemployers
\ng. Helping with administrative and document-related problems
\nh. Intervening in cases of non-payment of salaries.
\ni. Upholding the rights of migrant workers who have been
\ndismissed.
\nj. Supporting legal action by migrant workers where their rights
\nhave been infringed.
\nk. Helping resolve disputes between migrant workers and third
\nparties.
\nl. Helping arrange compensation or insurance payments in the case
\nof work-related accidents or death
\nm. Assisting with the return of migrant workers to Indonesia
\nn. Other duties as assigned by the relevant ministers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp4tki-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}