Labor export firm faces stiff penalty<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Labor export company PT Indra Caraka could lose
\nits operational license for inhumane treatment of 350 job seekers
\nwho applied for overseas placements, an official said on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Kirnadi, director of labor placement of the Ministry of
\nManpower, said the government planned to mete out strict
\nsanctions which could range from prohibiting the firm from
\nsending workers for six months or revocation of its operational
\nlicense.<\/p>\n
\"I will discuss details of the sanctions with the minister (of
\nmanpower),\" he said.<\/p>\n
The company, he said, was proven guilty of housing the workers
\nfor between three and eight months in the company's dormitory in
\nDuri Kosambi, Tangerang, until they were freed by the Pijar non-
\ngovernmental organization on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
According to government regulations, a labor export company is
\nallowed to pool job seekers for a maximum of three months before
\nthey are sent to positions.<\/p>\n
Kirnadi said the workers were housed in a small dormitory and
\nnot been given enough food.<\/p>\n
\"The company's staff reportedly extorted money from a number
\nof workers as well,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The workers are currently accommodated at the Ministry of
\nManpower. About 210 of them will be sent back to their home
\nvillages in Central and East Java, and the remainder are awaiting
\ntheir departure to jobs in Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
Darmawi Onggo, one of the company's directors, admitted to his
\nfaults, but said some of the job seekers were also to blame
\nbecause they had refused to return home when asked.<\/p>\n
\"We could not force them to go home because they have been
\nentrusted by their parents to the company.\"<\/p>\n
He also said his firm would take care of returning most of the
\njob seekers to their villages and reimburse them for any expenses
\nthey incurred during their stay.<\/p>\n
In another incident involving the export of workers, a
\nconsortium of PT Asuransi Jiwa Bringan Jiwa Sejahtera, PT
\nAsuransi Republik and PT Asuransi Bringin Sejahtera Artamakmur
\npaid Rp 3 million (US$272) on Thursday in compensation to
\nChadirin, the widower of Esti Sugiarti binti Arto Sawito, who
\ndied a week before she was scheduled to be sent to work in Saudi
\nArabia.<\/p>\n
Anggoro, one of the consortium's coordinators, said the
\npayment was proof his consortium complied with the 1998
\nministerial decree stipulating that all workers to be sent
\noverseas are insured starting from their departure from their
\nhome villages until their return.<\/p>\n
He said the kin of Esti was entitled to the insurance payment
\neven though she had yet to pay Rp 160,000 as the premium for two
\nyears and nine months.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin, an employee of labor export company PT Rachman
\nPratama Sejati, said Esti died of a heart attack on Sept. 18,
\nwhile visiting her sister in Indramayu, West Java.<\/p>\n
Although appearing sad, Chadirin said he appreciated the
\ninsurance firms' willingness to pay his wife's policy even though
\nshe had yet to be sent abroad.<\/p>\n
He said he was unsure on how he should support his five small
\nchildren in Purwokerto, Central Java. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/labor-export-firm-faces-stiff-penalty-1447893297",
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